A Sydney resident discovered a nest of newborn rats packed into a drawer beneath their stove this year, completely unaware the drawer was there. The find was reported by a Sydney pest controller as one of a growing number of similar cases being recorded across inner Sydney in 2026, including in Surry Hills.
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Rat Numbers Still Elevated
A pest manager with over two decades of experience at a Sydney pest control company revealed that rodent numbers across the city remain high this year, broadly consistent with 2025 levels, which she had previously described as the worst she had seen in her career.
The pest manager noted one factor that appears distinct in 2026: pest controllers are receiving a higher number of calls from residents who have found rat nests and newborn litters inside their homes and garages, often in locations the residents had not previously inspected. In one case described, a nest filled an entire kitchen drawer with shredded insulation and rubbish, and the homeowner had been unaware the space existed.
Under favourable conditions, a single breeding pair of rats can produce hundreds of offspring in a year.
Surry Hills and the Bin Problem
Surry Hills has been identified by at least one local resident as an area where rat activity is increasing, with overflowing public bins and illegal waste dumping cited as contributing factors. Resident frustration over rubbish management across inner-city streets has been reported in recent weeks.
The City of Sydney council has said it had not seen evidence of an increase in vermin complaints in recent months.
A Long-Standing Urban Issue
Rats have been present in Sydney since European settlement, arriving with the First Fleet in 1788 via cargo holds and food stores aboard the fleet’s ships. By the early 20th century, infestations had become a public health concern serious enough to prompt government action. The 1900 bubonic plague outbreak, linked to rat-borne fleas, led to sanitation reforms across Sydney and demolition of housing in several inner-city areas, including Surry Hills and Darlinghurst.
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The two species most commonly found in Sydney are the Norway rat and the roof rat. Both are well suited to dense urban environments, where food waste, ageing building stock and mild winters support year-round breeding. Rats are also present in Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and parts of Adelaide and Canberra, though Sydney is regarded by experts as the most affected city in the country by a considerable margin.
Published 10-April-2026
