Why would a Hagerstown property owner need a written report from the exterminator?

The City's code asks an owner to show the Code Official that an infestation has been dealt with, using a report from a licensed professional. The section above explains it. If you own a rental or have received a notice, ask the company before work starts whether it will provide that written report and what it will cover.

Does a Hagerstown landlord have to treat the whole building if mice turn up in more than one apartment?

Yes, if it is a rental building. The rules table above shows when the City's code puts the entire structure on the owner. If you are a tenant, report what you see to the owner or manager in writing, with dates and the rooms involved, so the problem can be traced across units rather than treated in one apartment at a time.

Is sealing gaps worth it in an attached Hagerstown home if the neighbors still have mice?

Yes, sealing your own home still helps, because it closes the routes into your rooms. Talk to your neighbors or the landlord about treating at the same time, and ask the pro to show you which gaps they sealed.

Why doesn't this page list roof rats for Hagerstown?

Because the state's own rodent manual calls the roof rat rare in Maryland, even though some company pages list them. If you are unsure what you have, a photo of droppings or a trapped animal lets a pro identify it before choosing traps or bait.

What should I have ready before a pro inspects an older Hagerstown house?

Clear a path to the basement, crawl areas and utility room, and move stored boxes away from walls. Write down where and when you noticed droppings, noises or chewing. If you rent, have the owner's contact details ready, and if the home is attached, say so when you book.

MD Rodent Control

Rodent Control in Hagerstown, Maryland

The City describes urban rowhouse neighborhoods surrounding downtown Hagerstown. In those homes and across the city, a pro can find where rats or mice get in, trap and remove them, and seal the openings. Section 308.7 of the City's code asks an owner to give the Code Official a report from a licensed extermination professional, covered below.

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Statewide rules and background: Maryland rodent guide

An inspection first, then traps and sealing

In Hagerstown, getting rid of rats or mice starts with an inspection to learn which rodent it is and how it gets inside. Then comes trapping and removal through rat control or mouse control, and rodent exclusion to seal the gaps.

Rentals have their own rules here. In 2024 the City amended Section 308 of its Property Maintenance Code, which assigns extermination from a single unit up to the whole building.

Who must exterminate, unit or whole building

Occupant, owner or the whole building

Hagerstown's Property Maintenance Code splits the job in Section 308, which the City amended in 2024.

Situation	Who must act	Code section
Situation: A one-family home	Who must act: The occupant exterminates on the premises	Code section: 308.3
Situation: Before a unit is rented	Who must act: The owner exterminates	Code section: 308.2
Situation: A structure with two or more rental units, and more than one unit is infested	Who must act: The owner exterminates the entire structure	Code section: 308.4
Situation: Shared areas and the outside of a structure with two or more rental units	Who must act: The owner	Code section: 308.5
Situation: Your own rental unit	Who must act: The tenant keeps it free of rodents, unless defects in the structure caused the infestation; then the owner is responsible	Code section: 308.6

Residents can report a property concern or violation to the City's Code Administration through the City's Report A Concern page. This is a summary of the code, not legal advice.

The licensed report an owner gives the City

Section 308.7 asks the owner of a structure to give the Code Official a report from a licensed extermination professional. It shows the infestation has been abated, or cleared, and that steps were taken to keep it from coming back.
The code does not say when Section 308.7 is triggered. If you get a notice from the City, ask the Code Official what it needs.
Maryland requires a pest control business that controls rodents to hold a Category 7D Rodent Control license. Ask to see it before work starts, and ask whether the pro will write the report.

What Affects Rodent Control Cost in Hagerstown?

Whole-building work in rentals
When Section 308.4 in the table above applies, the inspection and treatment can cover every unit and shared space, not one apartment. Ask the pro to price the whole building.
A written report for the City
If the Code Official asks for the licensed report under Section 308.7, ask whether writing it is part of the quote or billed on its own.

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

Services for older homes and rentals

Rodent Removal
Trapping and removal clears the rodents already inside. If you own a rental, ask whether the pro can supply the written report Section 308.7 expects an owner to give the Code Official.
Rodent Exclusion
Sealing closes the gaps rodents use, such as openings where pipes and wires come in. Ask whether the quote covers the basement and foundation walls: Section 304.5 of the City's code wants them free of the open cracks and breaks that let rodents in.

Related services

Rat Extermination
When droppings, gnaw marks or burrows point to rats rather than mice.
Mouse Extermination
When the signs point to mice in walls, kitchens or the basement.
Commercial Rodent Control
For shops, restaurants and other businesses.
Attic Rodent Removal

Older, attached homes around downtown

About 48.5% of Hagerstown's homes were built before 1960, against 26.2% across Maryland, and about 31.9% date from 1939 or earlier. The City says it has kept much of the buildings and urban form it had reached by 1930.

About 29.7% of homes are single-family attached, against 21.3% statewide, and the City describes urban rowhouse neighborhoods surrounding downtown. If your home is attached, say so when you book, so the pro can plan the inspection.

Building rules worth checking

Section 304.5 of the City's code asks for foundation walls free of open cracks and breaks, so rodents cannot get in.
Where a house has a basement hatchway, Section 304.16 asks that it be kept tight against rodents, rain and surface water.

Year built, share of housing units

48.5%
Built before 1960
±2.9 points
19.0%
Built 1960 to 1979
±2.7 points
16.0%
Built 1980 to 1999
±2.3 points
16.5%
Built 2000 or later
±2.3 points

Building type, share of housing units

33.3%
Single-family detached
±3.0 points
22.0%
Buildings of 5+ units
±2.7 points

The City's trash cart rules

Hagerstown's Chapter 117 trash rules changed on August 1, 2024. They are about collection, not rodents, but they shape how long trash sits at the curb.

Carts and bags: Only City-issued 35-, 65- or 95-gallon rollout carts and the City's 18-gallon recycling tote. Loose bags are not collected, so keep every bag inside a closed cart.
Setting the cart out: No earlier than 4:00 p.m. the evening before pickup.
Bringing it back in: Carts may not stay at the curb after 7:00 p.m. on collection day.

What Professional Rodent Control Covers

Your call reaches a trusted local pro. Ask how they handle each step.

1. Inspection
A trusted local pro checks inside and out. Ask about a free inspection.
2. Identification
Droppings, tracks and gnaw marks show whether rats or mice are inside.
3. Trapping and removal
Trapping removes the rodents already in the building.
4. Entry points
The gaps and openings rodents use are found and marked.
5. Exclusion
Sealing those openings keeps new rodents from following.
6. Cleanup
Ask what cleanup of droppings and nesting material the pro recommends.
7. Monitoring
Follow-up checks confirm the activity has stopped.

How a call works

Common Questions About Hagerstown Rodent Control

The City's code asks an owner to show the Code Official that an infestation has been dealt with, using a report from a licensed professional. The section above explains it. If you own a rental or have received a notice, ask the company before work starts whether it will provide that written report and what it will cover.
Yes, if it is a rental building. The rules table above shows when the City's code puts the entire structure on the owner. If you are a tenant, report what you see to the owner or manager in writing, with dates and the rooms involved, so the problem can be traced across units rather than treated in one apartment at a time.
Yes, sealing your own home still helps, because it closes the routes into your rooms. Talk to your neighbors or the landlord about treating at the same time, and ask the pro to show you which gaps they sealed.
Because the state's own rodent manual calls the roof rat rare in Maryland, even though some company pages list them. If you are unsure what you have, a photo of droppings or a trapped animal lets a pro identify it before choosing traps or bait.
Clear a path to the basement, crawl areas and utility room, and move stored boxes away from walls. Write down where and when you noticed droppings, noises or chewing. If you rent, have the owner's contact details ready, and if the home is attached, say so when you book.

Nearby City Guides

Free Hagerstown 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.

(888) 733-3114

Call Now Get Help

Free Inspection · Same-Day Service in Many Areas

Or find a local rodent exterminator by phone.

Sources

Historic Districts. City of Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
Chapter 64, Attachment 1: Property Maintenance Code of the City of Hagerstown. City of Hagerstown, Maryland (via eCode360, Supp 1, Feb 2026). Retrieved 2026-09-26.
Report A Concern. City of Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
Rodent Control: Maryland Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Category 7D. Maryland Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation Section. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
B25034: Year Structure Built, 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
B25024: Units in Structure, 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
Chapter 117: Recycling and Refuse Collection. City of Hagerstown, Maryland (via eCode360). Retrieved 2026-09-26.