Rats can be a problem for residents, property owners, businesses and entire neighborhoods. Their gnawing and burrowing can cause damage and they can contaminate food, spread disease and reduce our quality of life.
Rats seek out places to live that provide them with everything they need to survive: food, water, shelter and safe ways for them to get around. To keep rats out of your property or neighborhood, you and your neighbors can take steps to make life more difficult for rats:
To learn more about how you can help your community and the Health Department prevent rats, check out the pages listed below.
Rat Information Portal
View rat inspection results and follow-up actions on our interactive map. Look up rat inspection history by address, borough, block and lot (BBL) number or by neighborhood.
Rat Mitigation Zones
Rats can contaminate food, spread disease and reduce our quality of life. Rat Mitigation Zones are areas with high levels of rat activity, where City agencies focus resources to address rats and the conditions that support them.
Use the Rat Mitigation Zones website to view data on rat complaints and NYC Health Department rat control.
Home and Community Prevention
Rat Contraceptive Pilot
The NYC Council passed legislation to explore the use of contraceptives to reduce the rat population. The Health Department is now piloting the use of contraceptives to decrease male and female rats' fertility in the Harlem Rat Mitigation Zone. Results will help the Health Department assess whether to add these products to the Department's data-driven rat management work already underway across NYC. The pilot will take about a year.
Four different products are being used in the pilot:
Products will be placed in tamper resistant bait stations and will not be accessible to humans, non-target animals or pets. If an accidental exposure occurs, call the Poison Center at 212-764-7667 for more information or speak to a veterinarian. These products pose an extremely low risk to pets, humans, and wildlife. The active ingredient is in a dose that is effective on rodents.
Email ratportal@health.nyc.gov with questions.
Information for Businesses and Pest Management Professionals
Training for Residents and Professionals