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Here’s what the City Council is doing about Boston’s rat problem
"Boston is a home for everyone, except for rats."
From hiring a rat czar to suggesting new trash bins and policies, the Boston City Council proposed several new rat mitigation initiatives at its meeting on Wednesday.
City Councilor Erin Murphy proposed following in New York City’s footsteps by creating an office dedicated to Boston’s rodent problem led by a “rat czar,” a suggestion that has been brought up and discussed previously but never enacted.
“As things get worse, we have to think of new ways to tackle it. I think it’s time to discuss if a rat czar would focus in on the needs the residents uplift every day to us,” Councilor Murphy said.
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According to a Tufts University six-year study, most rats in Boston carry the leptospirosis bacteria that can infect humans and cause flu-like symptoms or, in rare cases, multi-organ failure.
While rodents are a public health issue, Councilor Murphy said they are “oftentimes a mental health issue too.” She continued, “Many people [are] dealing with mice and rats taking over their apartments, taking over their houses. People [are] afraid to leave their house or enjoy their backyard.”
In 2024, the City of Boston launched the Boston Rodent Action Plan to combat the rodent population.
The 2024 Boston Rodent Report found the makeup of the city itself is the main contributor to its rodent problem. The report’s webpage states, “The densely populated neighborhoods with intertwining alleyways and old sewer systems, along with century-old cobble or brick streets and sidewalks, provide an environment for rodents to thrive.”
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Residents, and their trash, play a large role in the city’s rat problem as well.
Due to this, several councilors on Wednesday shared support for new trash barrels and an updated policy for putting out trash before pickup.
“We also know that Boston’s rodent problem is getting worse, not better. Residents are fed up and while we’ve invested in pest control and public education, we can’t ignore one of the biggest drivers of infestation: unsecure, broken, or overflowing trash barrels,” said Councilor Murphy.
The proposed policy would require the use of rat-resistant trash containers in the neighborhoods with the highest rates of rodent infestation: Allston-Brighton, Dorchester, Chinatown, South End, Roxbury, East Boston, and South Boston.
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While this policy would impact these specific neighborhoods, Flynn said the rat problem affects every Boston neighborhood. “Having a rat-proof barrel is a step in the right direction. We have to continue to work hard on this quality of life issue, public health issue,” said Councilor Ed Flynn.
The ordinance would require Public Works and the Inspectional Service Department to “deploy or subsidize secure rat-resistant containers within 12 months in the hardest hit neighborhoods,” said Murphy.
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The ordinance would also require offering shared container options for apartment buildings, funding support to help lower-income residents and small businesses afford these containers, education for residents on the initiative, and inspection and reporting back to the city council, she said.
The City of Boston already placed rat-resistant trash cans in Boston Common, the North End and other areas. Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata calls these “the Fort Knox of trash barrels.”
In a video introducing the North End trash cans, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said, “Boston is a home for everyone, except for rats.”
Councilor Sharon Durkan introduced amending the trash policy to require same-day put-out and pickup of trash. Currently, Boston residents can place their trash on the curb after 5 p.m. on the day before trash pickup, and trash must be curbside no later than 6 a.m. on collection day, according to the City of Boston.
Despite Boston’s requirement that residential trash be in a closed bin, loose trash bags are placed on the sidewalks, said Durkan. She continued, “By late afternoon, bags line the sidewalks. By morning, many are torn open by rodents and litter is scattered across the street.”
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Trash bags and barrels lining the sidewalks for a long period is also a disability rights issue, said Durkan, noting they block necessary sidewalk space.
“Rats need food and shelter and water. We provide them a lot of that with our trash,” said City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, who supports the ordinance.
“In some neighborhoods, pickup doesn’t happen until late the next day meaning trash can sit out for more than 24 hours,” Durkan said. Her proposal would require coordination between the city and trash collectors to determine the typical trash pickup time in each neighborhood.
Councilor Coletta Zapata is already trying to combat this issue by attempting to “track garbage trucks around the neighborhoods so people can put out trash when it is time,” she said.
The proposed ordinance would also require commercial trash to be in closed bins instead of in loose bags on sidewalks.
The proposals will now be reviewed by the appropriate council committees before the body takes further action.
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