Overview

• New York City mandates all businesses to use garbage bins with secure lids to combat rat problem.
• The requirement aims to eliminate the '24-hour rat buffet' on sidewalks, affecting all 200,000 businesses.
• Residential buildings with nine or fewer units will fall under the mandate in the fall, with larger buildings in a pilot project starting spring 2025.
• City officials will issue warnings for the first month, followed by summonses starting in April.
• The move is part of Mayor Eric Adams' broader effort to reduce the city's rodent population.