Rats on public and private property

Rats are unwelcome visitors in our city, and can lead to property damage, food contamination and various health concerns. Effective management is a shared responsibility between the City of Ottawa, business owners and residents.

Below, you will find information related to the City's role in addressing and preventing rat-related concerns, ensuring a coordinated approach to maintaining public health.

You can confirm rat activity without seeing rats. Noticing the following signs early can help in taking quick action to take care of the infestation.

• Droppings – near foundations or in secluded areas
  • Rat droppings are approximately 1 cm (1/2 in) in length
• Burrows – fresh digging around foundations walls
• Gnaw marks – on wood, concrete or other materials if entries or food/water are nearby
• Runs – look for dust free area along walls and behind storage material
• Smudge marks – greasy film left by fur along walls, often associated with runs

Knowing how to prevent rats on your property is critical. By improving property standards and taking control of available food sources and shelter for rats this will be a key to success for rat mitigation.

Maintaining a clean and orderly environment is crucial in deterring rats. 

To deter rats:

• Store garbage in rodent-proof containers
• Remove clutter
• Remove food sources
• Securing green bins
• Keeping the area around bird feeders clean can further reduce attractants

Visit Ottawa Public Health’s website on the five steps you can take to manage rats on your property.

The City helps to prevent rat infestations through:

• Education,
• providing recommendations to property owners,
• conducting property standards inspections,
• maintaining parks,
• inspecting food premises,
• sanitary sewer baiting,
• tracking service request volumes, and
• baiting on City property when appropriate

To learn more about the City's actions, visit the Rat Mitigation working group memo.

The City does not trap rats, provide rat traps and baits, or hire pest control companies for private property.

Private property

Homeowners should contact private pest control service to report issues with rat infestations on their property. To make a complaint regarding a rat infestation on other private or City properties, contact 3-1-1 to report a property standards violation. 

Apartments or Multi-Residential

For issues in apartments or multi-residential buildings, tenants should speak to their landlord, building owner or property management first and contact 3-1-1 if issues are left unaddressed.

Restaurants / Food Premises

Issues or complaints related to food premises can be directed to Ottawa Public Health’s website. Read more about pest control in food premises.

Residents: 

• Rat Control Factsheet

Tenants and landlords:

• Under the City of Ottawa’s Rental Housing Property Management By-law (No. 2020-255), landlords and tenants are responsible for actions in an effective pest management plan. View the City of Ottawa’s Integrated Pest Management Plan.