# New York City rodent control efforts

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/new-york-city-rodent-control-efforts
> Updated: 2026-08-29T01:30:00.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 2.

New York City is addressing rodent infestations through both legislative mandates and waste management initiatives. Following the passage of Local Law 8 of 2026, the Department of Health is drafting rules to require property inspections within 14 days of a 311 complaint. This legislation, authored by Brooklyn Councilwoman Susan Zhuang, also mandates data recording and a second inspection attempt if access is initially denied.

Concurrently, the city has reported 19 consecutive months of declining rat sightings compared to the previous year. The Department of Sanitation noted 10,945 reports since the start of the year, down from 13,740 during the same period last year. Officials attribute this decline to the ‘Trash Revolution’ initiative, which began in 2022 and aims to replace sidewalk trash bags with mandatory garbage bins to reduce food sources. While the program initially targeted businesses, residential buildings with up to nine units were required to adopt bins by November 2024, covering approximately 70 percent of the city’s waste. The city intends to have all waste contained in bins by 2031.

Despite these reported declines, pest control company Orkin still ranks New York City as one of the top three cities for rat activity in the United States based on service requests.

## Claims

- Reported rat sightings have decreased for 19 consecutive months compared to the same month in the previous year. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- There were 10,945 rat reports since the beginning of the year, compared to 13,740 during the same period last year. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The city's 'Trash Revolution' involves replacing trash bags with mandatory bins to reduce rodent food sources. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- As of November 2024, residential buildings with up to nine units are required to use bins for trash collection. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The city aims to have all municipal waste contained in bins by 2031. (corroborated by 7 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-29: New York City reports decline in rat sightings

New York City reports 19 months of declining rat sightings, credited to a ‘Trash Revolution’ replacing street-side trash bags with mandatory garbage bins to limit rodent food sources.

18 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/new-york-city-reports-decline-in-rat-sightings

### 2026-08-17: New York City mandates 14-day inspections to combat rat infestations

New York City will mandate property inspections within 14 days of rat infestation complaints under new local laws designed to improve response times and accountability.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/new-york-city-mandates-14-day-inspections-to-combat-rat-infestations

---
Cite as: New York City rodent control efforts. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/new-york-city-rodent-control-efforts