Training. It shall be the responsibility of property owners / management companies, to provide training to site staff on recognizing signs of infestation, sanitation, vector exclusion and prevention, and the handling and disposal of infested material. The owner/manager may request training assistance from the Department of Public Health.
Bed bug infestations shall be addressed as outlined in the SFDPH Director’s Rules and Regulations for Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs. The very basic requirements are summarized as follows:
Only a licensed Pest Management Professional shall treat for bed bugs;
Tenant shall prepare their living space as specified by the Pest Management Professional;
All units adjacent to where bed bugs are identified shall be inspected and treated accordingly;
Monitoring for 30 to 45 days shall take place after the final bed bug treatment.
Owner or manager shall investigate reports of pest activity within 48 hours. Owner or Manager shall record all reports of rodents, fleas, flies, bedbugs, cockroaches, mosquitoes and other biting insects. This logbook shall be made available to the Pest Management Professional.
Licensed Pest Management Professional (PMP): Owner shall only hire a PMP with an appropriate current California state license. Companies or operators shall provide proof of valid
license on request, or anyone may call the California Structural Pest Control Board at (916) 561-8704 for status. The company must also be licensed to do business in San Francisco. Call 415-
252-3862 for questions about PMP licensing in San Francisco.
Proper refuse/garbage storage and collection: Owner and/or Manager shall provide an adequate number of refuse containers and frequent enough collections per week to prevent the over-filling of containers and maintain the garbage area in a sanitary manner. (Health Code
Article 6 sect. 290)
Such containers shall be vermin-proof and watertight with tight fitting lids. Plastic bags may be used as garbage and refuse container liners but shall not be used without the container for on-site storage of garbage or refuse.
Owners and managers shall ensure that advance notification of tenants of any pesticide treatment complies with all State requirements. Tenants must be given the name of the product to be applied and the contact number for the Poison Control center upon request.
The Health Department has provided a complaint form with this invoice. This form shall be made available to all tenants so that they can make a written complaint to you regarding those issues specified on the form.
Tenants are responsible for performing routine housekeeping tasks to keep living areas reasonably clean and orderly, and keep garbage, pet food and other items attractive to pests properly stored. Do not put food out for pigeons or wildlife.
Proper storage practices: Accumulated materials such as crates, pallets, lumber, tires, firewood, or scrap metal shall be stored in a manner that facilitates monitoring for pest activity and prevents harborage of noxious insects, rodents, and wildlife.
Stored items shall be stacked neatly in piles and elevated with at least 6” of clearance from the ground, with at least 6” of space between the piles and exterior walls of any structure or fence.
Standing water. To prevent the breeding of mosquitoes that can carry blood-borne diseases, property owners/managers are required to eliminate all standing water sources.
Water will also attract wildlife, rodents and other unwanted pests.
Landscape management. When rodent activity is identified, owners shall:
Thin out dense trees, vines and shrubs that shelter rats, mice and mosquitoes.
Remove or thin out dense groundcover that hide burrows, runways and clog drains.
Vector Exclusion: Residential and commercial buildings shall be constructed and maintained to prevent the entry of vectors or pests by means of effective exclusion. Vector exclusion includes, but is not limited to the following:
Gaps around exterior doors and windows shall be sealed so as to prevent rodent entry;
Openings in exterior walls, particularly around pipes or conduits shall be sealed with ¼" hardware cloth, copper mesh, sheet metal, concrete or mortar;
Expandable foam sealer is NOT acceptable rodent proofing.
Pigeon roosting and pigeon-proofing: Pigeon waste, pigeon feathers and nesting materials can be a source of mites, allergens, bacteria and other organisms that can cause human disease. Accumulation of these noxious materials constitutes a health nuisance. Pigeon waste damages paint and building materials. In San Francisco, it is not legal to feed pigeons on public property.
Pigeon-proofing means pigeons are discouraged and prevented from roosting and creating a health nuisance by using such methods as such as sloping sills, netting, screens or other deterrents.
Animal waste from pets attracts flies and rodents and is a source of nuisance odors. Any accumulation is a violation of the Health Code.