Fewer rat sightings reported in Riverdale area as new sanitation policies reshape trash disposal

Rat sightings reported in greater Riverdale have declined to levels unseen in years, reflecting a broader trend across the city. The decrease came after a series of changes made to sanitation collection protocols aimed at reducing conditions that fuel rodent populations.

In ZIP codes 10463 and 10471, total 311 rat complaints fell from 329 to 286 last year, the lowest annual total since 2020. That trend continued in the first two months of 2026, with 30 reports filed, down from 41 in the same period the year prior and 71 in 2022.

New trash disposal policies are driving the decline by making the city a less ideal breeding ground for vermin, according to Community Board 8 Environment and Sanitation Committee chair Daniel Rowan.

“I definitely think containerization makes a difference,” Rowan said, referencing requirements for separate trash and compost bins launched in 2024. “Making everyone compost has an even bigger effect because all the food that would attract the rats is sealed in brown bins.”

Prior to that mandate, which expanded to all five boroughs last year, food scraps were mixed in with regular garbage, producing strong odors and easy access for rodents. Under the composting program, residents must separate those scraps into designated bins with secure lids, along with food-soiled paper and yard waste. 

The brown containers, stamped with the Department of Sanitation’s logo, are collected on a set schedule, typically on the same day as recycling in most neighborhoods. The organic material is then transported to processing facilities, where it is broken down into compost or converted into renewable energy. 

From single-family homes to large residential buildings — historically among the city’s biggest generators of exposed food waste — widespread compliance has made a significant difference.

For Angel Ortega, superintendent at Briar Oaks, a south Riverdale apartment complex with more than 300 units, separating food waste has yielded a drastic change.

“When you take the food out of the garbage, there’s nothing for the rats,” Ortega said, “Before, you’d open the compactor room [in Briar Oaks] and it smelled.”

Now, he added, sealed compost bins and lidded trash containers have reduced odors that could attract rats and limited the rodents’ access points around the property’s trash area. 

Ortega said he’s seen far fewer rats in his traps since implementing the change.While rodents are a reality of city life, Ortega noted the larger common Norway rats, which often cause the most damage, have largely disappeared.

Rowan also noted the long stretch of particularly cold weather this winter as a contributing factor to the decline in sightings.

“When it was below freezing for like three weeks straight in January and February , rat sightings went down because the rats aren’t breeding,” he said. “Overall rat populations will probably dip a little just because of the extreme cold alone.”

But, Rowan added, cold snaps alone do not explain a yearlong decline.

Rat complaints measure reported sightings, but do not determine the size of the rodent population. Warmer months typically bring increased activity, and areas with consolidated trash or high foot traffic can still generate complaints if garbage overflows or remains exposed before pickup.

Still, the sustained decline in 10463 and 10471 reflects a broader shift — fewer exposed trash bags, more sealed bins and measurable improvements to quality of life. After years of rising rat complaints across the city, changes in how waste is being handled appear to be reshaping the local landscape.