Rat Control — Garbage, Scraps of Food, Etc.
San Diego Municipal Code § 44.0349
in effect§44.0349 Rat Control — Garbage, Scraps of Food, Etc.
(a) The occupants of all buildings, including both business buildings and private residences, shall provide an adequate number of covered metal containers approved by the Health Officer in which all garbage or refuse, consisting of waste vegetables, fish, or animal matter of any kind, including all small dead animals which may serve as rat food, shall be placed and stored so that such items may not be accessible to rats until removed from the premises by the garbage collectors. Partly or completely filled garbage containers shall be tightly covered at all times.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or place on any land or waterway within The City of San Diego any dead animals, butchers’ or fisherman’s offal, or any waste vegetable, fish, or animal matter, or any other matter whatsoever suitable as food for rats, except upon proper garbage fills designated and approved by the Health Officer or City Manager.
(c) No garbage, rubbish, trash, or manure shall be placed, left, dumped, or permitted to accumulate or remain in any building or premises in The City of San Diego so that the same shall or may afford food, harborage, shelter, or breeding place for rats.
(d) All establishments where employees eat lunches, on the premises shall provide a sufficient number of suitable metal containers with tight fitting covers in which the employers shall cause to be placed all remnants of such lunches so that they will not be accessible to rats at any time.
(e) Whenever there is evidence of rat infestation of any theatre or other place of amusement wherein the audience eats peanuts, popcorn or other foods, the Health Officer may require that all particles or remnants of all such foods shall be removed from the floors of the place of amusement immediately after the last performance each evening.
(Renumbered from Sec. 46.09 on 2–10–1953 by O–5486 N.S.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter04/Ch04Art04Division03.pdf#page=14Fetched: 10/28/2026