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TN Rodent Control

Rodent Control in Nashville, TN

Metro Code 10.32.020 requires every business building in Nashville, a category that takes in hotels, apartment buildings, stores and restaurants, to be ratproofed and kept free of rats under the health department. Homes answer to Metro's property standards code, whose Section 16.24.340 names foundation cracks and crawl space doors as rodent openings. On a house, a rat or mouse job should cover sealing those two openings as well as removal of the animals already inside.

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Statewide rules and background: Tennessee rodent guide

Metro's health code and its property code

Rodent work in Nashville runs under Metro rules written for the building type. Metro Code Chapter 10.32 covers business buildings, which it defines broadly enough to include apartment buildings, hotels, markets and restaurants. Chapter 16.24, the property standards code enforced by Metro Codes, covers homes and other buildings and the property around them. The foundation cracks, crawl space doors and other openings named in Section 16.24.340 are what rodent exclusion closes, and the same trusted local pro can take on rat control or mouse control for the animals already inside.

Openings the Metro and state codes name

Section 10.32.010 of Metro's health code defines ratproofing for business buildings as sealing, with material rats cannot gnaw, every opening they can reach by climbing or burrowing, in exterior walls, ground or first floors, basements, roofs and foundations. Section 16.24.340 of the property standards code names specific openings for all buildings, and Tennessee Rule 1200-23-01-.06 covers food establishments.

  1. Cracked foundation walls

    A leaning foundation wall, or one with open cracks and breaks, falls short of 16.24.340(E), which also requires the wall to keep out rodents and other pests. Ask for each crack to be marked in the inspection notes with its repair.

  2. Crawl space and hatch doors

    If the house has a crawl space or a basement hatchway, 16.24.340(R) says its access door must keep out rodents, rain and surface water. Check that it shuts flush and the frame has not rotted.

  3. Basement windows that open

    An openable basement or cellar window needs standard-size mesh or other approved protection against rodents under 16.24.340(S). Note any bent or missing mesh before the visit.

  4. Kitchen doors and wall gaps

    Tennessee Rule 1200-23-01-.06 requires a food establishment's outer openings to be protected by filling gaps along floors, walls and ceilings, with closed, tight-fitting windows and solid, self-closing, tight-fitting doors. A delivery door wedged open undoes it.

Rodent exclusion · Guide to rodent entry points in a house

Who handles rodents under Metro's code

Owner, occupant or single business tenant

Metro Code 16.24.370 says every structure must be kept free of insect and rodent infestation, and after extermination, precautions must be taken to prevent re-infestation. It then says who does the extermination.

Situation: A building, or part of one, about to be rented or leasedWho must act: The owner, before renting or leasing itCode section: 16.24.370(A)
Situation: A one-family dwelling, or a non-residential structure with only one tenantWho must act: Whoever lives in the dwelling, or that one tenantCode section: 16.24.370(B)
Situation: Public or shared spaces and exterior property of a multi-unit residence, rooming house or non-residential buildingWho must act: The owner, unless an occupant's failure to prevent it caused the infestation in the part they occupy, which is then theirsCode section: 16.24.370(C)
Situation: Infestations that stem from structural defectsWho must act: The ownerCode section: 16.24.370, exception

These rows paraphrase 16.24.370 for quick reading, not as legal advice, and a lease may add its own terms on who books and pays.

Housing age by ZIP code area

Census estimates put 18.1% of Nashville's homes as built before 1960, compared with 4.8% in Franklin and 7.2% in Murfreesboro. The city is still building too: 21.5% of its homes date from 2010 or later, compared with 15.0% across Tennessee.

Age and building type vary inside the city. In the 37203 ZIP code area, 64.5% of homes were built in 2010 or later and 76.1% are in buildings of 20 or more units. In 37216, 49.9% predate 1960 and 75.4% are detached houses. Ask for a plan that fits the building: foundation and crawl space checks on an older house, trash rooms and common areas in a large apartment building.

Year built, share of housing units

  • 18.1%

    Built before 1960

    ±0.7 points

  • 22.7%

    Built 1960 to 1979

    ±0.7 points

  • 24.4%

    Built 1980 to 1999

    ±0.8 points

  • 34.8%

    Built 2000 or later

    ±1.0 points

Building type, share of housing units

  • 49.0%

    Single-family detached

    ±0.7 points

  • 33.6%

    Buildings of 5+ units

    ±0.9 points

When the nights turn cold

NOAA normals for the Nashville International Airport station show average lows at or below 40F in November, December, January and February, while March averages a low of 40.2F. UT Extension says mice move in from outdoors in fall as temperatures decline, so check the crawl space door and foundation before November.

  • Average low at or below 40F

    January, February, November and December

  • Highest average highs

    July and August

Station: Nashville International Airport weather station

Service for kitchens, stores and homes

  • Commercial Rodent Control

    Under Metro Code 10.32.070, once the health department notifies a business building's occupant of rats, eradication must start within seven days and continue until the premises are rat-free. For a restaurant, hotel or apartment building, ask for scheduled follow-up visits and written service records.

  • Rodent Exclusion

    Metro Code 16.24.340 wants foundation walls free of open cracks and breaks, crawl space access doors that keep rodents out, and protected basement windows. Sealing covers those openings, plus any gap a pro finds where pipes or wires pass through a wall.

Related services

Restaurants, hotels and the rat chapter

What the health code asks of business buildings

Situation: Any business building, from a hotel or apartment building to a store, market, restaurant or warehouseWho must act: Kept ratproofed and free of rats under the health department's chief medical directorCode section: 10.32.020
Situation: A new food business, or one moving to a new locationWho must act: No Metro license until the building is inspected and found to comply with the rat chapterCode section: 10.32.040
Situation: Inspectors find rats, or openings rats can useWho must act: The owners or occupants are served notice or orders to abateCode section: 10.32.050
Situation: A written notice to ratproofWho must act: The owner finishes the work in the time the notice sets, never less than fifteen daysCode section: 10.32.060
Situation: A notice of rat infestationWho must act: The occupant starts eradication within seven days and keeps it up until the premises are rat-freeCode section: 10.32.070
Situation: A contractor, utility or plumber opens up ratproofingWho must act: They restore it and seal any new opening against ratsCode section: 10.32.100

Metro Public Health's food inspectors also score restaurants, snack bars and school cafeterias from 0 to 100, and priority violations must be corrected immediately or within 10 days. Scores are posted online.

The state rule inside the kitchen

Tennessee's food service rule, Chapter 1200-23-01, says the premises shall be maintained free of insects, rodents and other pests, through routine checks of incoming shipments and of the premises, traps or other control when pests turn up, and removal of harborage. Rodent bait must be placed outside, in a covered, tamper-resistant bait station. Ask a pro to show how the service plan meets each point.

Reporting a property to Metro Codes

Under Metro Code 16.24.330(F), no building, structure or exterior property may give rodents harborage, be infested by them, or have conditions that promote or support either. hubNashville takes these property complaints through its Report a Codes Violation form, and the phone lines are 311 and 615-862-5000. The Codes Department's Property Standards Division enforces the property standards code.

A first violation brings a written notice with a reasonable time to fix it, under 16.24.170. If the same violation is reported again, Codes sends no new notice and asks for a civil warrant to Environmental Court, which hears cases each Wednesday at 1 p.m. A defendant found guilty can be fined for every day the property stays in violation.

What Professional Rodent Control Covers

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

  1. 1. Inspection

    A trusted local pro checks inside and out. Ask about a free inspection.

  2. 2. Identification

    Droppings, tracks and gnaw marks show whether rats or mice are inside.

  3. 3. Trapping and removal

    Trapping removes the rodents already in the building.

  4. 4. Entry points

    The gaps and openings rodents use are found and marked.

  5. 5. Exclusion

    Sealing those openings keeps new rodents from following.

  6. 6. Cleanup

    Ask what cleanup of droppings and nesting material the pro recommends.

  7. 7. Monitoring

    Follow-up checks confirm the activity has stopped.

How a call works

What Affects Rodent Control Cost in Nashville?

  • A service plan or a single job

    A restaurant, hotel or apartment manager often needs scheduled visits and written records; a house job may end once activity stops and the gaps are sealed. Ask which you are being quoted.

  • Access to shared spaces

    In a large building, sealing and trapping may need the trash room, loading dock or other common areas. Confirm with management who arranges access before the visit.

  • Crawl space and foundation work

    On an older house, crawling the space and repairing the foundation or access door can add time and materials. Ask for each opening to be itemized.

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 Nashville Rodent Control

  • Yes. Metro Code 10.32.010 lists apartment buildings, tenement houses and roominghouses among business buildings, beside hotels, stores and restaurants, so the ratproofing duty in 10.32.020 reaches them. The property standards code applies as well, and under 16.24.370 the owner handles the shared areas and grounds.

  • The size of the kitchen and storage areas, how many doors and wall gaps need sealing, whether bait stations go around the outside, and how often follow-up visits are scheduled. A written record of each visit adds value if an inspector asks. Get the scope itemized so you can compare quotes.

  • The rodents may be the same, but the plan differs. In a tower, the work tends to center on trash rooms, loading areas and the units reporting activity, arranged through management. In an older house, the inspection should cover the foundation, crawl space access, basement windows and where pipes enter.

  • Use the Report a Codes Violation form on hubNashville, or reach Metro customer service by phone, and describe the conditions you can see, such as piled debris or open garbage. Metro Code 16.24.330(F) requires property to be kept free from rodent harborage, and the Property Standards Division enforces Chapter 16.24.

  • Section 16.24.370 puts extermination in a one-family house on its occupant, but the owner must exterminate before renting it and remains responsible when the infestation comes from defects in the structure. Your lease may also set who books and pays, so check it and tell the owner in writing.

  • List the spots with droppings or gnawing, which doors stay open for deliveries, and where stock and cardboard are stored. Have any earlier service records and trap logs on hand, plus access to the kitchen, storage rooms and the dumpster area, so the inspection can cover every likely entry.

Nearby City Guides

Free Nashville Rodent Inspection

If you manage a restaurant, hotel or apartment building in Nashville, mention any health department notice and its date when you call, so the plan can be set up around it.

What happens next

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

  1. Title 10, Chapter 10.32 Rodents, Insects and Other Pests (10.32.010 to 10.32.070). Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 14243, product 14214, job 487353 'Supplement 53', codified through Ord. No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  2. 16.24.340 Exteriors of buildings and structures. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 14243, product 14214, job 487353 'Supplement 53', codified through Ord. No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  3. Code Enforcement (Property Standards Division). Metro Nashville Department of Codes and Building Safety. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  4. Codes Department Property Standards Division. Metro Nashville Department of Codes and Building Safety. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  5. Rules of Tennessee Department of Health, Chapter 1200-23-01 Food Service Establishment (July 2015, revised), as linked by Metro Public Health. Tennessee Department of Health (PDF hosted by Metro Nashville Public Health Department). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  6. Title 16, Chapter 16.24 Property Standards, Article V, 16.24.370 Extermination. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 14243, product 14214, job 487353 'Supplement 53', codified through Ord. No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  7. 16.24.030 Definitions. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 14243, product 14214, job 487353 'Supplement 53', codified through Ord. No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  8. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), Tennessee). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  9. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), Tennessee). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  10. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), Tennessee). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  11. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Franklin city, Tennessee). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  12. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Murfreesboro city, Tennessee). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  13. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Tennessee). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  14. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (ZCTA5 37203). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  15. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (ZCTA5 37203). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  16. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (ZCTA5 37203). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  17. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (ZCTA5 37216). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  18. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (ZCTA5 37216). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  19. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (ZCTA5 37216). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  20. U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USW00013897 NASHVILLE INTL AP, TN US. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  21. PB1303: Managing Pests Around the Home. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, UT Extension. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  22. 10.32.040 Inspection prior to issuance of license (with 10.32.030). Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 14243, product 14214, job 487353 'Supplement 53', codified through Ord. No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  23. 10.32.100 Removal of ratproofing prohibited. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 14243, product 14214, job 487353 'Supplement 53', codified through Ord. No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  24. Food Protection Services. Metro Nashville Public Health Department. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  25. 16.24.330 Exterior property areas. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 14243, product 14214, job 487353 'Supplement 53', codified through Ord. No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  26. Chapter 16.24, Article III Enforcement (16.24.170 to 16.24.200). Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (client 14243, product 14214, job 487353 'Supplement 53', codified through Ord. No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  27. Environmental Court. Metro Nashville Department of Codes and Building Safety. Retrieved 2026-09-28.

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