What should you do if you see rats at home?

Rats in an HDB flat or house in Singapore: who to call

Who you call about rats in an HDB flat depends on where you saw them: in the common areas around your block, or inside your own flat.

HDB says Town Councils control, manage, maintain and improve the common property of HDB flats, including corridors, void decks, lifts, water tanks, public lighting and open spaces (HDB on Town Councils). So for rats in HDB common areas such as a void deck, corridor or open space, report what you saw to your Town Council rather than putting down bait there yourself.

Inside your flat, engage a licensed Vector Control Operator (VCO). The National Environment Agency (NEA) states in its licensing circular that only licensed VCOs may advertise or provide vector control services, and the vectors it names are mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, rats and rat fleas. Any company offering rat control should therefore hold that licence, so ask for its licence details before you book.

If you are not sure where the rats are coming from, do both: report the common area sighting to the estate, and have a licensed operator inspect your flat. For more on choosing a company and what to ask, see our guide on how to hire a pest control company and our pest control FAQ.

Signs of rats

You may spot signs of rats before you see one. NEA's guidelines on preventing rat and cockroach infestations are written for food establishments, not homes, but the signs they list make a useful checklist for a flat too:

• rat droppings
• smear marks on walls and ceilings
• gnaw marks on doors and false ceilings
• burrows
• sightings of live rats

Look in quiet places close to food, water or clutter, such as under the sink, behind kitchen appliances, inside cabinets and around stored boxes. A torch helps in dark corners and above false ceiling access panels. If you find these signs inside your flat, call a licensed operator rather than waiting to see a rat.

Cut off food, water and shelter

NEA's guidelines on preventing rat and cockroach infestations at food establishments start from a simple point: pests need food, water and shelter. The guidelines are written for food premises, but the steps they list are easy to follow in a home kitchen too:

• Clean up food and refuse spills immediately.
• Keep bins covered.
• Bag, tie and dispose of food waste.
• Store food in tightly covered containers.
• Keep the areas below the cooking range and sinks dry and clean.
• Get rid of unwanted boxes and newspaper piles.
• Seal holes or crevices in ceilings, walls or floors.
• Make sure floor traps and downpipes are covered with grating.

In a flat, check the gaps where pipes pass through walls, floors and ceilings, and the gaps around doors and the refuse chute. Seal what you can reach safely, and point out any gaps you cannot seal to the operator when they visit.

Do not leave food, pet bowls or bagged rubbish out overnight.

For a thorough clean before you start the new routine, use our kitchen deep clean checklist. If you are also seeing cockroaches, our guide to cockroaches and cleaning covers that side of the problem.

Baits and traps

NEA says pesticides and repellents against rats and the other vectors it names must be registered before they are sold, supplied or advertised (NEA on pesticide registration). Registered products are labelled "For General Use", for households, or "For Restricted Use", which only licensed Vector Control Technicians or certified Vector Control Workers may use. If you buy a product yourself, check that it is labelled "For General Use".

For bait or traps placed by a company, ask which products they will use, where they will put them and what you should do with them afterwards. NEA advises the public to make sure vector control services, whatever the type of provider, come from licensed VCOs. The VCO ensures every technician and worker it deploys is licensed or certified, and submits a service report and recommendations at agreed intervals (NEA on Vector Control Operators). Ask for that report and keep it with your records.

Rented flats

If you rent, read your tenancy agreement before you call anyone. The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) publishes a tenancy agreement template for HDB flats. Clause 4.6 of CEA's template says the tenant keeps the flat pest, mosquito and rodent-free, and engages exterminators at the tenant's own expense where necessary. Your own agreement may be worded differently, so check the clause you signed, and tell your landlord if you find signs of rats or gaps you cannot seal.

For the wider question of who handles what, see our guide to tenant repair responsibilities and the guide on who maintains what in an HDB flat.

You can also check our tenants and landlords FAQ for other questions between tenants and owners.

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