Some New York City residents are urging Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to appoint a new “rat czar” when he takes office after Mayor Eric Adams’ appointee stepped down in September and was not replaced. 

The Brooklyn grassroots resident groups’ push comes as the City Council held a hearing Thursday on a bill mandating city health officials respond to rat complaints within 10 days. 

Residents form rat mitigation group

Rats are a common sight on Sterling Place in Prospect Heights, where a few years ago residents formed the Sterling Committee on Rat Awareness and Mitigation, better known as S.C.R.A.M.

“All of these stores have backyards, and the backyards have rats,” said Carol Morrison, a member of the Prospect Heights rat task force. “I never walk this block, and I never walk this block without other people with me. That’s how disgusting it is.”

Morrison said the New York City Health Department does not treat backyards and entry is up to landlords.

“There’s been an uptick in complaints”

The rat problem is one of many issues residents highlighted in a recent letter to Mayor-elect Mamdani, imploring him to establish a “permanent rodent mitigator” when he takes charge of City Hall in January. 

“Without an interagency approach, our beloved city faces a rat infestation that will only worsen, jeopardizing our quality of life and health,” the residents wrote in part. 

“Since really the summer, there’s been an uptick in complaints and there have been increased sightings of rats,” Jesse Hendrich, chairman of S.C.R.A.M., said. 

Bill would mandate faster response to rat complaints

The City Council Committee of Housing and Buildings heard a bill introduced by City Council Member Suzanne Zhuang, who represents District 43 in southern Brooklyn. The bill would require the Health Department to respond within 10 days to 311 complaints about rats at buildings. 

Zhuang said complaints are often closed without action. 

“The person lived next to the subway station, subway station has a lot of rats … and the rat comes to their house and then bites their small dog,” Zhuang said.

Residents complain about a lack of enforcement of garbage containers for residential buildings and restaurants. 

“The outdoor eating establishment is still out there when it’s supposed to be gone by November 4,” said Rocco Rella, of Prospect Heights. “But when they put it out in the street, they put it out in bags.” 

The Department of Sanitation said rat sightings are currently down in the city and that containers are working. But residents worry if they’re seeing rats scale buildings now, it will only get worse by next summer. 

Mamdani’s press office did not respond to multiple emails from CBS News New York asking if he would reinstate a new rat czar.Â