How to Report Rats in Asheville and Buncombe County

In Asheville, there is no single rat hotline. Who you call depends on where the rodents are and what is causing them.

Buncombe County Environmental Health lists the investigation of "mosquito, rat, and other public health nuisance complaints" among its services, and it covers the whole county, including Asheville. Problems in a rental home inside city limits go to the City of Asheville's Minimum Housing program. Illegal dumping and other city service problems can be reported through the Asheville App. Restaurants and other food businesses are inspected by the county's Environmental Health food and lodging staff.

This guide walks through each path, what to have ready and what usually happens next. Agency services and contacts change, so confirm details on the linked official pages before you rely on them.

Quick guide: who handles what

Rats on a neighboring property, a public health nuisance or a pattern of rats in an area: Buncombe County Environmental Health.
Rats or mice in a rental home in Asheville city limits caused by building problems: the City of Asheville Housing Code staff, after you notify your landlord in writing.
A rental home outside city limits in Buncombe County: the city's housing page directs those residents to the County Fire Marshal.
Illegal dumping, trash problems and other city service issues inside Asheville: the Asheville App.
Rodents in a restaurant or other inspected food business: Buncombe County Environmental Health.
Rats or mice in your own home: a licensed private pest control provider. The county and city do not exterminate inside private homes.

Buncombe County Environmental Health

Buncombe County Environmental Health is a division of the county's public health department, which sits within Buncombe County Health and Human Services. Its staff enforce North Carolina health laws and rules in the county. Besides food and lodging inspections, septic and well permits and lead investigations, the division lists investigation of mosquito, rat and other public health nuisance complaints as one of its services.

The county's Environmental Health page lists the office at 35 Woodfin Street in Asheville, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a program phone of (828) 250-5016.

When you call, have this ready:

The exact address or location of the problem.
What you have seen: live rats, burrows, droppings, rats around trash or a building.
How long it has gone on and what seems to be drawing the rats, like garbage, junk, animal feed or an empty building.
Photos, if you can take them safely from your own property or a public place.
Your contact information, so staff can follow up.

The county page does not publish a step-by-step process for rat complaints, so ask when you call what happens next, whether someone will inspect and how you will hear back.

Rentals inside Asheville city limits

If you rent and rodents are getting in because of problems with the building, the City of Asheville's Minimum Housing program is the place to go. The city's page explains that under Section 4-214 of the city code, owners carry most of the responsibility for meeting building requirements, while tenants must keep their homes clean and safe and tell the owner about needed repairs.

The city asks tenants to notify the landlord in writing first and give a fair amount of time for repairs, unless the problem is dangerous. Then you can contact the Housing Code Coordinator:

Phone: (828) 259-5764, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In person: 161 S. Charlotte Street.
Mail: P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802, attention Housing Code Coordinator.

Have your address and unit number, the owner's name, a description of the problem and how long it has existed, and when you notified the owner. You can report by phone without giving your name, though the city notes that follow-up is harder that way.

After a complaint, an inspector asks questions, schedules an inspection and reports findings. If violations are found, the owner gets a Notice of Violation, and the city says the owner is usually given 30 days to fix the problems, depending on how serious the repairs are. The city also states that it is unlawful for a landlord to evict a tenant for filing a complaint.

For the state law side, see our guide to tenant and landlord rodent rules in Asheville.

Outside the city: Buncombe County

The city's housing page says residents of Buncombe County who live outside Asheville city limits should call the County Fire Marshal at (828) 250-6620 for housing concerns. Rat nuisance complaints anywhere in the county still go to Buncombe County Environmental Health.

Weaverville, Woodfin, Black Mountain and Montreat are separate towns with their own staff for some local services, and Fletcher and Hendersonville are in Henderson County. If you live in one of those places, check with the town or Henderson County for property and trash complaints.

Rodents in your own home?

Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Asheville and Buncombe County. Describe what you are seeing and ask for the plan and the price in writing before any work starts.

(828) 503-0038Tap to call · Free to call

The Asheville App for dumping and city problems

The Asheville App is the city's tool for reporting problems and tracking the response. The city launched it in March 2025, and its announcement names water line leaks, potholes and illegal dumping as examples of what you can report. You can submit a request at ashevillenc.gov/ashevilleapp or through the smartphone app, add your location and a photo, and follow the request as the city routes it to the right department. Staff may message you for more details, and the app tells you when the work is complete.

Dumped trash, furniture and debris piles feed and shelter rats, so reporting them helps. For problems with your own trash or recycling service, the city's sanitation division is at (828) 259-5857. Our guide to Asheville trash and yard rules covers cart rules and bear-resistant carts.

Restaurants and food businesses

Buncombe County Environmental Health inspects restaurants, lodging and other permitted food establishments in the county. If you see rodents or droppings in a restaurant, you can report it to Environmental Health.

You can also look up past inspections. The county's instructions point to its Citizen Access portal: choose Environmental Health, search by establishment name, open the record and view the attached inspection reports. You do not need an account. Our guide to restaurant rodent violations in Buncombe County explains grades and the rules behind them.

Rodents in your own house

Public agencies investigate nuisances, enforce housing standards and inspect businesses. They do not trap mice in your kitchen. For your own home, the work falls to you or a licensed pest control company.

In North Carolina, companies doing rodent work for hire need a structural pest control license from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in the household pest phase. See how to verify a North Carolina pest control license, and our rat control and mouse control pages for how the work goes.

Frequently asked questions

Does Asheville have a 311 line for rats?

Asheville does not list a dedicated rat line. The Asheville App handles many city service requests, Buncombe County Environmental Health investigates rat nuisance complaints and the city's housing code staff handle rental conditions.

Will the county trap rats at my house?

No. Agencies investigate nuisances and enforce rules. Removing rats from your own property is up to you or a licensed private provider.

Can I report a neighbor's yard full of junk?

Illegal dumping can be reported through the Asheville App. If the junk is drawing rats, Buncombe County Environmental Health handles rat nuisance complaints.

My landlord will not fix the holes rats use. What can I do?

Notify the landlord in writing and allow a fair time to repair. If nothing happens, contact the city's Housing Code Coordinator at (828) 259-5764 if you live in Asheville city limits. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can I report anonymously?

The city says you can report a housing problem by phone without giving your name, though follow-up is harder without contact information.

Get a rodent technician on the phone

Free to call. You are connected with an independent provider serving Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County. Same-day appointments are often available.