Starting Tuesday, the city will now issue fines for small residential buildings not using official city trash bins.
The Department of Sanitation says the requirement is part of a citywide effort to reduce the rat population. The initiative affects any home or residential building of one to nine units.
The fines increase with each offense: starting at $50, then $100 for the second offense and $200 for all following offenses.
“I’m all for getting rid of rats, taking the trash off the street. Why not, right?” David Hazeltine, a Long Island City resident, said.
Mia Noetzel, another Long Island City resident, lives in a complying residence. She believes it’s a step in the right direction toward a less rat-infested New York.
“I see people throw food on the street, so yeah the rats [are] around, and if we can contain it in the bin, in these garbage containers, rather than other ways — it’s good,” Noetzel said.
The Sanitation Department says 311 data shows rat sightings have been down around 20% so far this year compared to last year.
New Yorkers can buy the bins at any Home Depot in the city for around $60. They can also be delivered to your door through platforms like DoorDash, Instacart and UberEats.
“When New Yorkers’ health is at stake, government cannot wait for the crisis to pass before asking how it can do better,” he said. “Our response to the Upper East Side cluster was fast and aggressive, and we are building on what we learned to make our systems stronger, enforcement faster and public health response more transparent.”
City Hall said as of late August, 81% of the five boroughs’ cooling towers were in compliance with monthly sampling and testing requirements.
More than 460 of 800 field inspections conducted by the Health Department since May 8 resulted in at least one violation, it added, with $80,500 in fines collected.