How to Report Rats in Cleveland: 311 and CDPH

If rats are coming from a neighbor's yard, a vacant lot, an alley or a business, you can report it. Inside Cleveland city limits, rodent complaints go to the Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH), either through its online complaint form or through 311. If you live in a suburb, the city says to contact the Cuyahoga County Board of Health instead.

A complaint asks the city to deal with conditions on a property. It does not send anyone into your house to trap rats. For rodents inside your own home or under your own garage, you still need a pest control provider. This guide covers both sides.

Who handles rodent complaints in Cleveland

The Cleveland Department of Public Health's Division of Environmental Health handles environmental nuisance complaints, including rodents. Its complaint page says residents can report environmental nuisances by dialing 3-1-1 or by filling out a 311 service request online, and it links to an online complaint form.

On that form, the category to look for is Rodent Abatement. The city describes it as reports of rats or mice in or around structures, including sightings, droppings or burrows. A second category, Insect/Vermin Infestation, lists mice, rats, groundhogs, possums, raccoons and skunks as sub-types.

The city's code backs this up. Chapter 211 of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances says that letting any premises become vermin or rodent infested is a nuisance and unlawful. Under Section 211.02, the Commissioner of Environmental Health issues a written order to the owner, agent, lessee or person in control of an infested property, requiring whatever measures the Commissioner considers necessary to eradicate and prevent the infestation.

How to file a report

You have two routes inside the city:

Call 311 from a Cleveland phone and describe the problem and the address.
Use the online complaint form linked from the CDPH Submit a Complaint page and choose Rodent Abatement.

The city also runs an online 311 portal where you can register, submit requests and view your past requests, and a Service Request Explorer on its open data site where you can look up a request by its reference number. Keep the reference number you get when you file.

What to include in the complaint

CDPH lists Insufficient Information Provided as one possible outcome, meaning no action is taken unless more information comes in. A clear complaint avoids that. Include:

The exact address of the property where the rats are living or feeding, or the nearest address for a vacant lot
What you have seen: live rats, burrows, droppings, gnawed trash carts
Where on the property: under a garage, along a fence, in an overgrown lot, around dumpsters
When you see activity, such as at dusk or overnight
Conditions that feed or shelter rats: piled garbage, overflowing bins, debris, tall weeds
Photos, if the form allows them

Be specific and factual. "Burrows along the north side of the garage at the back of the lot, rats seen every night around 9 p.m., garbage bags piled outside the carts" gives an inspector something to check.

What happens after you file

The complaint page says complaints go to an inspection staff member. The city does not publish a set timeline for rodent complaints, so timing varies.

CDPH lists the outcomes a complaint can have. For rodents, one is Baited for Rodents, which the city describes as rodenticide placed in appropriate burrows on the property. If the inspector finds a violation, the code gives the Commissioner power to order the owner to fix it. If the owner fails or refuses to comply, Section 211.03 lets the Commissioner abate the nuisance and recover the city's costs through legal action. The Health Code also allows the city to abate nuisances and assess the costs against the property as a lien.

Related problems often go in at the same time. CDPH's complaint categories include Accumulation of Garbage, High Grass/Weeds and Trash in Street or Alley. The city's environmental health page notes that keeping grass low helps keep rodent, mosquito and other insect populations down.

Rats on your own property?

Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Describe what you are seeing and ask for a written quote before any work starts.

(216) 384-0039Tap to call · Free to call

Other 311 requests that help with rats

Rats follow food and cover, so other city services matter too. Cleveland's 311 menu includes:

Early set out or cart left out after collection
Large trash pile or eviction set out
Overflowing trash container, downtown and outside downtown
Waste spills from a trash cart
Request a new or replacement cart, for damaged, lost or stolen carts
Dead animal pickup. The city says any animal on private property must be placed at the curb for pickup.

311 also has categories for building and housing issues and for vacant property issues, which cover the empty houses and lots that often hold rat colonies. See our trash and property rules guide for the rules behind these requests.

If you live in a Cleveland suburb

CDPH's complaint page says environmental nuisance complaints outside Cleveland city limits should go to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, and that complaints filed with the city for suburban addresses will not receive follow-up.

County inspectors do respond to rat problems. In 2019, residents on East 255th Street in Euclid told Cleveland 19 News about burrows in yards and rats in basements, and the station reported that a county inspector came out and more traps were set afterward.

Your own city may also handle property maintenance, trash and weeds through its building or service department, so check your city's website as well. North Ridgeville and Medina are outside Cuyahoga County and have their own county health departments.

Staying safe while the complaint is open

A complaint can take time to resolve, and rats on a neighboring lot often test nearby houses. A few precautions help in the meantime:

Keep your own carts closed and in good repair, and bring them in after pickup.
Pick up bird seed, fallen fruit and pet food, which draw rats across property lines.
If droppings turn up in your garage or basement, follow the CDC's cleanup steps: air the space out for 30 minutes, wear gloves, spray the droppings with disinfectant or a fresh 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution, let it soak five minutes, then wipe up and bag the waste. Do not sweep or vacuum.
Keep kids and pets away from burrows and from any bait the city or a provider placed.
Write down dates and what you see. If you need to file again, a log makes the second complaint stronger.

What to do about your own property

A city complaint addresses the source. Your own house still needs protection, especially on blocks with steady rat pressure. Cleveland ranked No. 7 on Orkin's 2026 list of metro areas by new residential rodent treatments, up from No. 11 a year earlier, so you are not alone in dealing with it.

On your side of the fence, the plan is to remove rats living on your lot, treat and collapse burrows, and seal the foundation, garage and utility gaps. A local rodent technician can do that work while the city deals with the neighboring property. Start with rat control or rat burrow treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Can I report rats anonymously in Cleveland?

The city's complaint pages do not say whether anonymous complaints are accepted. If you are concerned, ask when you call 311 before giving your name.

Will the city remove rats from inside my house?

No. City complaints deal with conditions on properties, such as burrows, garbage and overgrown lots. For rodents inside your home, call a pest control provider.

I rent. Should I file a complaint about my apartment?

Tell your landlord in writing first. If the problem continues, a housing or rodent complaint can document conditions. Our tenant and landlord guide explains the steps. This is general information, not legal advice.

I live in Parma. Who do I call?

The City of Cleveland directs suburban environmental nuisance complaints to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. Your city's own service or building department may also handle trash and property maintenance.

Get a rodent technician on the phone

Free to call. You are connected with an independent provider serving Cleveland and the Cuyahoga County suburbs. Same-day appointments are often available.