Rat sightings are down 18% this year in NYC: Data.

NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – New York City is one step closer to victory in its war on rats.

Citywide, rat sightings are down 18.4% this year compared to the same period in 2024, 311 complaint data show. Complaints of rat-friendly conditions and other signs of rodents are also down citywide.

Rat sightings are down in all five boroughs. But nowhere is as dramatic as Brooklyn, which saw a 28.6% drop in rat sightings in the first half of 2025. In Queens, there was a 21.7% dropoff in reported rat sightings.

The Bronx saw a 14.4% drop in sightings, and Staten Island, an 8.6% drop. Manhattan held relatively steady, with only a 0.4% decrease in rat activity.

The data comes as Mayor Eric Adams announced a new accomplishment in the war on rats – the city’s first fully containerized community in West Harlem. Trash bins with secure lids became mandatory in November 2024 for smaller buildings across the city, but the city is still working on buildings with more than 10 units.

Manhattan’s Community Board 9 is the first in the city to complete the process for all buildings, Adams announced Monday.

“Our Empire Bins are striking back at rats and garbage in West Harlem,” Adams said.

Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.