Richmond Trash, Yard and Property Rules That Affect Rats

Short answer: in the City of Richmond, household trash goes in a city-issued supercan, which can go out no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before collection and must be off city property by 7 a.m. the day after. Property owners are expected to keep trash out of their yard, sidewalk area and alley, maintain the area from their yard to the center of the alley, and keep grass and weeds under 12 inches. Vacant buildings must be secured.

Those rules matter for rats because Norway rats live where food and cover meet. An overflowing can, a weedy fence line and an alley full of junk can support a colony for a whole block. This guide covers the city's rules, how to report problems and the sanitation steps the CDC recommends for keeping rodents away from a home.

Supercans and collection times

The Department of Public Works collects residential trash once a week, Monday through Thursday. According to the department:

• Trash must go in a City-issued supercan. Each can has a serial number, and DPW does not service cans the department did not issue. Items in non-issued containers will not be collected and can lead to a violation notice. The department cites City Code section 86-81 for this.
• Each residence gets one supercan. Up to three more can be bought for $55 each through RVA311, with the fee added to the water utility bill.
• Place the can near your property line or near the alley after 4 p.m. the day before collection, and remove it before 7 a.m. the day after. The department cites City Code section 86-44 and an ordinance approved in 2007, and says a $50 fine may be assessed for cans left in the right-of-way outside those times. DPW places yellow warning stickers on cans that must be removed.
• Damaged supercans can be replaced by calling 3-1-1. Delivery can take 7 to 14 business days.
• Businesses such as churches, apartment complexes and rooming houses may have up to four cans at a monthly fee per can. Businesses that need more than four cans must use a private hauler under the city code.

For rat control, the habits behind those rules matter most: keep the lid closed, bag food waste, do not let the can overflow and bring it in on time. A can that sits in the alley all week with a cracked lid is a feeding station.

Yards, alleys and overgrowth

The Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement Division lists the most common items owners must maintain. Several of them bear on rodents:

• Remove accumulated trash or refuse from your yard, sidewalk area and alley.
• Maintain the area from your yard to the center of the alley.
• Cut grass and weeds to less than 12 inches.
• Trim vegetation that sticks into the alley, sidewalk or public right-of-way.
• Keep vehicles in operating condition with current plates or inspection unless they are fully enclosed in a garage.
• Keep houses, garages, sheds, walls and fences structurally sound and in good repair.
• Secure vacant buildings against entry.

Tall weeds along a fence, a junked car and a sagging shed are all prime rat habitat. The city enforces these rules through inspections, notices of violation and, if needed, court action or city cleanup with a lien on the property. Problems can be reported through RVA311 or to the division at 804-646-6398.

Vacant buildings and lots

Vacant and abandoned buildings are a common rat source on a block. The city's rules:

• It is not a violation for a building to be vacant, but it must be code compliant, and the city monitors buildings it finds vacant.
• Vacant buildings must be secured against unauthorized entry pending repair or demolition.
• A building vacant for more than 12 months that meets the state definition of derelict must be registered, with a $100 annual fee. The city lists a $200 civil penalty for failing to register, or $250 in a conservation, redevelopment or blighted area.
• The city publishes a vacant building list twice a year and takes reports of vacant buildings at 804-646-6398 or PropertyMaintenance@rva.gov.

If a vacant house next to you has rats, report the open doors, broken windows, trash or overgrowth, and seal your own foundation on that side.

Bulk trash, brush and dumping

Old furniture, mattresses and brush piles left in a yard or alley shelter rats. The city offers ways to get rid of them:

• City residents can drop off bulk items and brush at no charge at the East Richmond Road Convenience Center and the Southside Transfer Station, with proof of residency. Each site lists its own hours and accepted items.
• Appliance collection has a $50 fee and can be scheduled through 3-1-1.
• Illegal dumping and discarded tires in an alley can be reported through RVA311 with the exact location.

Recycling collection schedules are posted by the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, which the city points residents to for recycling notices.

Compost, bird feeders, pets and woodpiles

For compost, bird feeders and woodpiles, the clearest guidance comes from the CDC. Its advice for keeping rodents away from a home includes:

• Use a thick plastic or metal garbage can with no holes and a tight lid.
• Keep compost bins at least 100 feet from the house.
• Keep bird feeders away from the house and use squirrel guards to limit access by squirrels and other rodents.
• Store grains and animal feed in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids.
• Do not leave pet food or water bowls out overnight.
• Move woodpiles 100 feet or more from the house and raise the wood at least one foot off the ground.
• Clean up brush and weeds, and keep grass and shrubs within 100 feet of the house trimmed.

On a typical Fan or Church Hill lot, 100 feet is longer than the whole back yard. In that case, do what the lot allows: closed compost bins on a hard surface, feeders over pavement where spilled seed can be swept, and woodpiles raised on a rack against the back fence instead of the house.

Why sanitation and rodent control go together

The Richmond City Health District's rodent guidance lists three methods that work against rats: rat-killing, rat-proofing and good sustained sanitation. It also notes that baiting is effective after the food source is removed. Rats with plenty of easy food ignore traps and bait.

That is why a good rodent provider will talk about your cans, compost and bird feeder before setting a single trap. If the food source is next door or in the alley, report it, then handle your own property with rat burrow treatment, trapping and sealing.

Questions people ask

Related reading

• How to report rats in Richmond
• Rat burrow treatment
• How to get rid of rats in Richmond
• Why rats come back after an exterminator
• Seasonal rodent problems in Richmond