New York City Rat Sightings Drop 22 Percent in 2026

New York City is on track to record its fewest reported rat sightings since the pandemic, with sightings dropping 22 percent in the first seven months of 2026 compared to the previous year. The New York City Department of Sanitation attributes this decline to the Trash Revolution and a war on rats launched by former Mayor Eric Adams in 2022, which aimed to starve rodents by removing trash bags from curbs.

Strategic measures included a 2024 requirement for businesses and low-density residential buildings to use lidded containers and the installation of 1,100 Empire Bins in a Manhattan Community Board 9 pilot program. While citywide trends are downward, Manhattan 3 reported a 38 percent increase in sightings.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has pledged to reach 100 percent citywide trash containerization by the end of 2031. To support this goal, budget allocations for waste containerization are expected to reach 162.2 million dollars by 2031.