Moundsville officials are taking necessary — and overdue — action to address serious safety concerns at several rental properties in the city. The sight of cockroaches and rats overrunning homes on Center, Cedar and Cypress streets is more than disturbing; it’s a public health crisis that no community can tolerate.

Residents have every right to be alarmed. When vermin spill from one property into others, when neighbors are forced to endure swarms of roaches and the stench of decay, local government must intervene. City Manager Rick Healy and the Marshall County Health Department have done the right thing by investigating the matter and moving toward condemnation of some homes.

This must also serve as a wake-up call. Property owners — especially absentee landlords — have a moral and legal obligation to keep their rentals safe and habitable. Those who neglect basic maintenance endanger not only tenants but neighborhoods.

The city should follow through swiftly with legal action and ensure these properties are cleaned up or demolished. Future enforcement must be proactive; residents deserve to know their leaders will protect them from unfit living conditions.

By confronting this issue head-on, the city sends a clear message: neglect will not be ignored, and public health will come first.