Idaho News 6 · KIVI
Boise's battle with rats: New rules also target wild turkey attractants
How the new ordinance works — and why the city moved from complaints to code.
Boise's rat problem, in the news and in the city code. Read the coverage, read the ordinance, and decide for yourself what a flagged property is worth.
Idaho News 6 · KIVI
How the new ordinance works — and why the city moved from complaints to code.
KTVB
The council's move, and what property owners are being asked to fix.
Idaho News 6 · KIVI
The health district is putting real money behind the rat problem in Ada County.
KIVI · via Spot On Idaho
Where the county's rat-response money is going — and why officials say the population isn't going away on its own.
"Rat and Wild Turkey Nuisances," updated October 2026. In plain words, the ordinance sets minimum standards for the conditions that attract and shelter rats: trash and food waste secured in rodent-proof containers, fallen fruit and nuts picked up, raw compost kept in sealed rodent-proof containers, and accumulated refuse, debris, and harborage removed.
Property owners are responsible for the structural conditions on their properties — multifamily and commercial owners included, for the common areas and structures under their control. November 2026 is an education period. Enforcement begins December 1, 2026. If a nuisance is not corrected, the city can correct it through its nuisance-abatement process and bill the property owner for the cost.
City of Boise — Rodent Prevention & the ordinance summary
Boise City Code — read § 4-1-2 in the code library (Title 4, Chapter 1)
Boise Rodent Watch — Help, Sightings, Answers & Compliance is a local Facebook group where Boise residents post rat sightings, ask questions, and follow the ordinance.