Spring has arrived in New York City — and so have the rats. Every year as temperatures climb, rodent activity surges across the five boroughs, and 2026 is no different. The NYC Department of Health receives approximately 40,000 rat and rodent complaints annually through the 311 system, according to NYC’s Environmental Health data portal, and the spring months consistently represent the highest-volume reporting period as rodents emerge from winter harborage sites.
This week’s 311 Decoder breaks down where spring rodent complaints are trending, what your rights are as a tenant, and — most importantly — the exact steps to force your landlord to act.
Where Spring Rodent Reports Are Trending
According to NYC Open Data’s 311 Rodent Complaints dataset, rodent complaints are historically concentrated in neighborhoods with dense restaurant corridors, older residential housing stock, active construction sites, and proximity to parks or waterways. Spring 2026 is consistent with this pattern — neighborhoods in Central Brooklyn (including Flatbush and Crown Heights), the South Bronx, and Lower Manhattan are seeing elevated reports.
The Bronx neighborhood of Wakefield produced the highest volume of 311 quality-of-life complaints in 2025. In Brooklyn, Flatbush continues to lead in housing-related complaints broadly. These patterns tend to intensify from April through June before plateauing in summer heat. If you are seeing rats or mice in or around your building right now, you are not alone — and you have real legal tools to force action.
Who This Helps
Renters and tenants in any NYC building who are seeing rodent activity — inside apartments, in common areas, in basements, around trash storage, or on sidewalks adjacent to their building. Also useful for building owners who want to proactively address complaints before the city issues violations.
Your Rights as a Tenant: What NYC Law Says
NYC law is clear. Under NYC Housing Maintenance Code Section 27-2017.2, landlords are legally required to keep premises free of rodents and insects. This is not optional. If there are rats in your building, your landlord has a legal obligation to hire licensed pest control and eliminate the infestation.
Pest control is classified as an emergency repair under NYC Housing Code. Landlords have 24 hours to begin addressing emergency conditions and a total of 21 days to fully remediate a rodent problem after a NYC Health Department order is issued. If they do not comply, fines range from $300 to $2,000 per violation, according to the NYC Department of Health.
For a deeper guide on escalating housing complaints, see our earlier piece: How to File an HPD Complaint in NYC.
How to Take Action
Step 1: File a 311 Rodent Complaint
You can report rodent activity through any of these official channels:
- Call 311 — available 24/7, free from any NYC phone
- Online: portal.311.nyc.gov — Rat or Mouse Complaint
- NYC311 App — available on iOS and Android; allows you to attach photos of rodent activity or entry points, and track complaint status
When filing, include your complete address, whether you are seeing rats or mice, where you are seeing them (inside the apartment, basement, garbage area, exterior), any entry points you have noticed, and any droppings or damage. Photos significantly strengthen your complaint and speed up the inspection process.
Step 2: Understand What Happens After You File
According to the NYC Health Department’s complaint process guide, here is what happens:
- Your complaint is logged and checked against recent inspection records for that property
- If the property has not been inspected recently, the Health Department schedules an inspection
- Inspectors look for active signs of rodent activity: burrows, droppings, gnawing, runways, live or dead rodents
- If signs are found, the property owner receives a Commissioner’s Order requiring remediation
- The owner has 21 days to comply
- Non-compliance results in a Health Department summons and fines of $300 to $2,000
Step 3: If Your Landlord Still Does Not Act
If your landlord ignores both your requests and the Health Department’s order, you have two escalation options:
- HPD Complaint: File separately with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development at nyc.gov/hpd or by calling 311 and selecting the housing option. HPD can issue additional violations and conduct its own inspections.
- HP Proceeding in Housing Court: You can bring a case in NYC Housing Court called an HP (Housing Part) proceeding. This formally asks the court to order your landlord to correct conditions. The court can mandate repairs and issue additional fines. Call 311 or visit nyc.gov/hra to find free legal help for tenants.
Step 4: Prevent Reentry While You Wait
While your complaint is being processed, the NYC Health Department recommends these practical steps to limit rodent activity in your unit:
- Seal any gaps or holes larger than one-quarter inch using steel wool or caulk (landlord must handle major structural sealing)
- Store all food — including pet food — in sealed hard containers
- Report overflowing or unsecured trash bins to 311 (a separate violation that can be filed against your landlord or the building)
- Keep garbage in sealed bins and don’t place bags on the curb until the night before your scheduled pickup
NYC’s Rat Mitigation Zones: Does Your Block Get Extra Help?
Since 2023, NYC has maintained designated Rat Mitigation Zones — targeted areas in the South Bronx, Harlem, and the Lower East Side where the city deploys intensified extermination and inspection resources. If you live in one of these zones, your 311 complaint may receive a faster response. You can check if your address is in a mitigation zone at nyc.gov/rats.
The city has also been expanding use of dry ice (CO2 injection) to exterminate active burrows — a method that does not rely on traditional rodenticide and has been deployed extensively in parks and along transit corridors. If you see city workers treating burrows on your block, this is part of the same program.
Quick Reference: Key Resources
- File a 311 Rat/Rodent Complaint: Call 311 or visit portal.311.nyc.gov
- NYC Health — Rats: Info for Tenants and Property Owners: nyc.gov/doh/rats-tenants
- File an HPD Complaint: nyc.gov/hpd or call 311
- NYC Open Data — 311 Rodent Complaints: data.cityofnewyork.us
- NYC Rat Mitigation Zones: nyc.gov/rats
Have a 311 complaint type you want us to decode? Email us at tips@helpnewyork.com.
