Freedom of Information data has revealed the 25 worst rat hotspots across Sheffield, with nearly 2,000 complaints logged by residents in 2025 alone. The figures expose sharp geographic disparities in the scale of the problem, with areas including Grimesthorpe, Burngreave and Southey Green among the worst affected, highlighting ongoing pest control challenges for the council and local housing providers.

Residents in the worst-hit streets have reported significant disruption to daily life, including being unable to use gardens and outdoor spaces, fears over structural damage from rat burrowing, and at least one household having to be temporarily rehoused. Although the 2025 complaint total marks a fall from the 2,543 combined complaints and treatments recorded the previous year, persistent problems in specific locations suggest the issue remains far from resolved. Sheffield Council and housing associations such as Sanctuary have brought in specialist pest control contractors to investigate and treat affected properties.