How to Report Rats and Mice in San Diego

Rats on your own property: the county Vector Control Program

The Vector Control Program is the county's agency for rodents and mosquitoes and the diseases they spread. Its rat page describes free educational rodent inspections for county residents, along with a Rat Control Starter Kit and instructions on rat control.

The county is clear about the limits. Its request page says, "We are not pest control and do not trap, bait, or get rid of rats and mice." The program's FAQ adds that you or your property manager may need to hire a pest control company. Think of the county visit as a free lesson on your property: an inspector looks at the outside of the buildings, points out what is drawing rats and how they get in, and leaves you with a trap station and printed material.

You can request an inspection through the county's online Request for Service form, by phone, by email at vector@sdcounty.ca.gov, or through the county's Tell Us Now! app. Office hours and the phone number are on the county's Vector Control request page. The program is funded by a service charge and benefit assessment that appear on county property tax bills.

What to include in a county report

The county's request form asks for:

• Your name and phone number
• The address of the problem
• A short description of what you are seeing

If you want to report a neighborhood-wide problem without asking for an inspection of your own home, the county says to note that in the complaint. A useful description names the signs. The county lists droppings, gnawing, stripped tree bark, scratching sounds in walls, greasy stains on walls, damaged food, piles of empty snail shells under garden plants and a sweet, musty smell from rat urine. Say how long you have noticed them and where on the property.

Problems that feed rats: City of San Diego Get It Done

Get It Done is the City of San Diego's app and website for reporting problems in public spaces. It does not list rats as a category. It does list several conditions that attract them:

• Illegal Dumping
• Overflowing Dumpster
• Container Left Out
• Missed Collection
• Dead Animal (on public streets and sidewalks)
• Vegetation Encroachment
• Park Trash or Litter and Brush Management in city parks

You can file through the Get It Done app or online. The city's Get It Done page also lists the urgent street line and says to call 911 for emergencies. If you live in Chula Vista, National City, La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lemon Grove, Poway or Coronado, use that city's own reporting system instead.

Property conditions and code enforcement

The San Diego Municipal Code makes property owners responsible for keeping their land free of waste and weeds. Section 54.0201 says every person has a duty to keep property under their control free of weeds, rubbish and other waste. Section 54.0208 makes it unlawful for a responsible person to fail to maintain property free from waste, and to fail to keep an abutting public walkway free of waste, weeds and plant growth. The code's definitions in Section 54.0202 name "Vectors" as rodents, flies and mosquitoes capable of transmitting disease to humans.

For violations on private property, the city's Building and Land Use Enforcement section takes requests for investigation through an online portal or printed forms. Its page says it will not accept anonymous requests, and it keeps the complainant's information confidential, though the city may have to disclose it in a court case. The city suggests talking to the responsible person first, and it points to the National Conflict Resolution Center for help with that.

If an owner does not fix a violation, the city can pursue abatement, civil penalties or court action. The page says civil penalties can reach a daily maximum of $10,000 and a total of $500,000. Under Section 54.0207, abatement costs can become a lien on the property.

Rats in a rental

Tenants should report rodents to the landlord or property manager in writing first, with dates and photos. Under California Civil Code 1941.1, a dwelling is untenantable if it largely lacks clean, sanitary grounds free from rodents and vermin, among other standards. A tenant can also ask the county for an educational rat inspection. See the tenant and landlord guide for more on who is responsible. This is general information, not legal advice.

Rats at a restaurant or market

Food businesses fall under the county's Food Program, also part of the Department of Environmental Health and Quality. The program has a Food Complaints page for reporting sanitation problems at a restaurant or market. Inspectors treat rodent evidence as a major violation, and the county's guidance says a facility with rodent evidence will be ordered closed until it fixes the problem. See restaurant rodent violations in San Diego County.

What happens after you report

The county does not publish how or when inspections are scheduled after a request. During the visit, the inspector checks the outside of the buildings, explains what is attracting rats and how they are getting in, and leaves you with a starter kit and information. Fixing the problem is up to you or the property owner. The county says that may mean hiring a pest control company.

A Get It Done report goes to the city for follow-up on that category. For a code enforcement request, staff review it and, if they find a violation, notify the responsible party and set a deadline to fix it.

If rats are inside your home now, the county visit will not remove them. Many people schedule the free county inspection and call a licensed provider for the trapping and sealing at the same time. See rat control for what that work includes.

Health questions

If you think you were exposed to rodent droppings in a closed space like a shed or cabin and you get fever, muscle aches or trouble breathing, see a doctor and mention the rodent contact. The county says hantavirus symptoms can appear 1 to 8 weeks after exposure. See rodent diseases in San Diego.