Who has to deal with mice inside my unit in an Annapolis duplex or apartment?

It depends on the cause. Section 17.40.760 puts extermination inside a unit on the occupant, but makes the owner or operator responsible when the infestation comes from a failure to keep the building rodentproof. The IPMC Section 309 rules the City adopted also apply, including the owner's duty for structural defects, and the City of Annapolis rental guide lists rodent eradication as a landlord duty. The table above shows each rule. Tell the landlord in writing, and if nothing changes, call the Department of Planning and Zoning.

Why does the City of Annapolis care how I store boxes and lumber?

Section 17.40.780 counts rubbish, boxes, lumber or scrap piled so they may give rats shelter as a code problem. The rat-shelter section above gives the exact rule, including how high stored things must sit. Racks or shelving make it easy to meet and leave the ground clear for a pro to inspect.

Does the Annapolis historic district's approval rule reach vent covers or screens added to keep rodents out?

Ask the City before you assume either way. Under Section 21.56.040, exterior changes in the historic district that affect a building's significance and can be seen from a public way need a certificate of approval from the Historic Preservation Commission, and maintenance is defined separately. Check with the Historic Preservation Division before adding visible vent covers, screens or flashing.

How should I get rid of a dead rat or mouse in Annapolis?

The City of Annapolis solid waste code says a small dead animal such as a rodent is wrapped securely and put in the trash container like other refuse. Wear gloves, and clean any droppings nearby with a wet method rather than sweeping them up.

What should I check before hiring a rodent company for an Annapolis home?

Ask to see the company's Maryland Department of Agriculture license for rodent control, and ask who will apply any bait and whether that person is certified. Then ask for a written plan that covers trapping, sealing and a follow-up visit, so you can compare quotes on the same work.

MD Rodent Control

Rodent Control in Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis has its own City Code, and it names rats outright: stored boxes and lumber must sit at least 18 inches off the ground, and Planning and Zoning can inspect trash storage for rodent harborage. Below: who handles rats and mice in a house or a rental, and where removal and sealing fit.

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Statewide rules and background: Maryland rodent guide

What the City code adds to rodent control

Two City rules shape a rodent job in Annapolis. Section 17.40.780, headed rat harborage, wants stored materials stacked at least 18 inches above the ground or floor, and a rental's license is issued or renewed only after an inspection finds the premises meets Chapter 17.40, the property code that holds that rule.

Rat shelter and trash under the City code

Stack stored things well off the ground

Section 17.40.780 of the City code, headed rat harborage, says no owner or occupant may let rubbish, boxes, lumber, scrap metal or other materials pile up where they may give rats shelter in or around a home. Stored materials have to be stacked neatly at least 18 inches above the ground or floor.

The Department of Public Works draws the same line for household trash: stored badly, it can give rodents both food and a home. Before a pro sets traps, move lumber, boxes and scrap onto racks that hold them at least that high, and get loose bags off the ground and into a lidded can.

The City can check trash areas for rodents

Under Section 10.16.110, the Director of Planning and Zoning may enter a property, though not the inside of a home, with reasonable notice to the owner. The visit is to inspect where refuse is stored and nearby places where insects and rodents rest or shelter, and the Director may apply chemical treatment for temporary control or require it.

If the Director sees refuse piled up on a property, yard or alley, Section 10.16.100 gives the owner seven days after a notice to remove it.

Trash habits the City's rules point to

The container rules below apply where the City collects refuse, under Section 10.16.020. Some apartment and condominium developments may use a licensed private collector instead, so ask your manager how trash is handled there.

Bag and tie it: Under Section 10.16.025, household trash goes in bags with the openings securely closed, kept in an approved container at all times. Section 10.16.020 makes providing that container the owner's job.
Use a lidded can or cart: Cans are watertight with tight-fitting lids and no larger than 32 gallons, or a lidded cart up to 96 gallons, marked with the address. The City does not sell or furnish them.
Keep cans out of sight: In the historic district, containers are kept out of public view between collections.
Wrap a dead rodent: Section 10.16.040 of the City of Annapolis code says a dead animal under ten pounds, such as a rodent, is wrapped securely and put in the trash container like other refuse.

Rentals: a license, an inspection, and who acts

No rental license without an inspection

Annapolis requires a rental operator's license before renting premises such as a single-family home, attached or detached, a unit in a two-family or multifamily building, or a home above a commercial or maritime use. No license is issued or renewed unless an inspection finds the premises meets Chapter 17.40, the property code that holds the City's rodentproofing and rat harborage rules.

Licenses are issued or renewed every year, and the City's rental licensing page says all rentals are inspected once each year. A multifamily building of 50 or more units with three or more full-time on-site maintenance staff may get a two-year license, unless the Director, with cause, requires a yearly one. The inspection checks the whole property code; it is not a rodent inspection as such.

Who handles rats and mice in a home or rental

The City's own Section 17.40.760 and the International Property Maintenance Code, 2021 edition, adopted by Section 17.40.265, both assign pest work. The two add to each other rather than conflict.

Situation	Who must act	Code section
Situation: A dwelling with a single unit	Who must act: The occupant exterminates in the home and yard, unless the owner or operator's failure to keep it rodentproof caused the infestation; then the owner or operator	Code section: 17.40.760
Situation: Inside your own unit in a two-family or multifamily dwelling	Who must act: The occupant exterminates within the unit, unless the owner or operator's failure to keep the dwelling rodentproof caused it; then the owner or operator	Code section: 17.40.760
Situation: Getting a unit ready to rent	Who must act: The owner eliminates pests first	Code section: 309.2
Situation: Common spaces and exterior property, where a structure has at least two dwelling units	Who must act: The owner	Code section: 309.4
Situation: In that structure, an infestation in an occupant's own space that the occupant failed to prevent	Who must act: Occupant and owner share the responsibility	Code section: 309.4
Situation: Keeping an occupied structure free of pests	Who must act: The occupant; the owner instead when structural defects are behind the infestation	Code section: 309.5

The City of Annapolis rental guide also lists getting rid of rodents, insects and other pests among a landlord's duties, and the code says a contract between owner and occupant does not relieve either of their duty. To report a problem, use the City's Anna311 portal, which lists Pests, or call Planning and Zoning at 410-260-2200.

The City's emergency power, and its limits

Section 17.44.080 D is not a routine City extermination service. It comes into play only after the Director has issued a license revocation order or a condemnation designation.

Situation	Who must act	Code section
Situation: Violations stay uncorrected 30 days, and the licensee or manager ignores the Director's lawful order, such as to eliminate rodents	Who must act: If the Director judges it an emergency, the Director may act, extermination included, at the licensee's cost	Code section: 17.44.080 D

The cost the City recovers from the licensee under Section 17.44.080 D can become a lien, collected like delinquent taxes. For an ordinary infestation, call Planning and Zoning at 410-260-2200 rather than wait for this step.

Matching the service to the City's rules

Rat Extermination
Rat work here pairs trapping with taking away shelter and food: materials stacked 18 inches up, as Section 17.40.780 sets, and trash kept bagged in a lidded can. Ask the pro to walk the yard, sheds and fence lines for piles and burrows, and to confirm which rat it is.
Rodent Exclusion
Sealing lines up with Sections 17.40.540 and 17.40.660: rodentproof foundations, exterior walls and roofs, and a screen or other device on basement or cellar vent windows and any other basement or cellar opening rodents could use. In the historic district, where Section 21.56.040 covers exterior changes that affect a building's significance and can be seen from a public way, ask the Historic Preservation Division before adding vent covers or screens.

Related services

Mouse Extermination
For house mice inside a home or unit; the rules table above shows who arranges it.
Rodent Removal
Catching the rats or mice already indoors, then disposing of them with the trash.
Commercial Rodent Control
For shops and other nonresidential buildings, where Section 17.48.060 J calls for a screen or other device on basement and cellar openings that could let rodents in.
Attic Rodent Removal

Older and denser than the rest of the county

About 15.5% of Annapolis's housing units were built in 1939 or earlier, against 5% across Anne Arundel County. About 29.8% sit in buildings of 5 or more units, against 16.1% in Anne Arundel County, and about 40.2% are single-family detached homes, against 59.5% in Anne Arundel County.

These are Census estimates, not a survey of building condition. If your home shares a wall or a building with others, say so when you book, and ask the pro to check your own foundation, basement openings and roofline rather than assume.

Year built, share of housing units

29.2%
Built before 1960
±2.9 points
31.1%
Built 1960 to 1979
±3.1 points
23.1%
Built 1980 to 1999
±2.8 points
16.6%
Built 2000 or later
±2.3 points

Building type, share of housing units

40.2%
Single-family detached
±2.4 points
29.8%
Buildings of 5+ units
±2.8 points

What Affects Rodent Control Cost in Annapolis?

Unit, common spaces or both
Mice in one unit and mice in a building's common spaces fall under different rows of the rules table above, Section 309.4 among them, so check with the owner or manager which part you are booking.
Restacking stored materials
If lumber, boxes or scrap need restacking 18 inches up to meet Section 17.40.780 before trapping starts, ask whether the price includes that work or whether you handle it.
Visible exterior work
In the historic district, check with the Historic Preservation Division before sealing that would change what shows from the street, since Section 21.56.040 covers some exterior changes seen from a public way. Then ask for the quote; the answer can change the materials and the schedule.

The provider sets the price after an inspection.

Building size, home or commercial
Rats or mice, and how widespread
Number of entry points and how hard to reach
Attic, crawl space or wall access
Trapping visits and dead rodent removal
Exclusion materials and amount of sealing
Droppings, nesting and insulation cleanup

How each part of a job is priced

Common Questions About Annapolis Rodent Control

It depends on the cause. Section 17.40.760 puts extermination inside a unit on the occupant, but makes the owner or operator responsible when the infestation comes from a failure to keep the building rodentproof. The IPMC Section 309 rules the City adopted also apply, including the owner's duty for structural defects, and the City of Annapolis rental guide lists rodent eradication as a landlord duty. The table above shows each rule. Tell the landlord in writing, and if nothing changes, call the Department of Planning and Zoning.
Section 17.40.780 counts rubbish, boxes, lumber or scrap piled so they may give rats shelter as a code problem. The rat-shelter section above gives the exact rule, including how high stored things must sit. Racks or shelving make it easy to meet and leave the ground clear for a pro to inspect.
Ask the City before you assume either way. Under Section 21.56.040, exterior changes in the historic district that affect a building's significance and can be seen from a public way need a certificate of approval from the Historic Preservation Commission, and maintenance is defined separately. Check with the Historic Preservation Division before adding visible vent covers, screens or flashing.
The City of Annapolis solid waste code says a small dead animal such as a rodent is wrapped securely and put in the trash container like other refuse. Wear gloves, and clean any droppings nearby with a wet method rather than sweeping them up.
Ask to see the company's Maryland Department of Agriculture license for rodent control, and ask who will apply any bait and whether that person is certified. Then ask for a written plan that covers trapping, sealing and a follow-up visit, so you can compare quotes on the same work.

Free Annapolis Rodent Inspection

What happens next

Call and describe what you have seen and where.
A trusted local pro can set up an inspection and confirm whether you have rats or mice.
Ask them to explain trapping, removal and sealing, and what the work involves, before any work starts.

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Sources

Chapter 17.40 Residential Property Maintenance Code, Article VII: Owner, Operator and Occupant Responsibilities. City of Annapolis, Maryland (via Municode Library). Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Chapter 10.16: Solid Waste. City of Annapolis, Maryland (via Municode Library). Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Chapter 17.44: Rental Unit Licenses. City of Annapolis, Maryland (via Municode Library; read through the Municode API, product 16754, job 493217, Supplement 2025 Update 2). Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Rental Licensing Procedures. City of Annapolis, Maryland. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Curbside Collection Information. City of Annapolis, Maryland, Department of Public Works. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Chapter 17.40 Residential Property Maintenance Code, Article I: Definitions (including 17.40.265 Property Maintenance Code). City of Annapolis, Maryland (via Municode Library). Retrieved 2026-09-27.
2021 International Property Maintenance Code, Chapter 3 General Requirements. International Code Council. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Rental Operations and Property Maintenance. City of Annapolis, Maryland. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Report an Issue. City of Annapolis, Maryland. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Rental Operations and Property Maintenance. City of Annapolis, Maryland. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Chapter 17.40 Residential Property Maintenance Code, Article V: Maintenance. City of Annapolis, Maryland (via Municode Library). Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Chapter 21.56 Historic District, Article I: Approval of Exterior Changes. City of Annapolis, Maryland (via Municode Library). Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Historic Preservation Division. City of Annapolis, Maryland, Department of Planning and Zoning. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
Chapter 17.48: Nonresidential Property Maintenance. City of Annapolis, Maryland (via Municode Library). Retrieved 2026-09-27.
B25034: Year Structure Built, 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Annapolis city). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
B25024: Units in Structure, 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Annapolis city). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
B25034: Year Structure Built, 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Anne Arundel County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
B25024: Units in Structure, 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Anne Arundel County). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-27.