Written by Stuart McGinn, drainage expert at Drain Detectives.
Rats are more than just a nuisance, they can be a hidden danger to the infrastructure of a home that can cause unforeseen expenses if not treated promptly.
Newly collected Freedom of Information (FOI) requests analysed by the team here at Drain Detectives have unveiled the extent of the problem across different regions of the UK, with findings painting a worrying picture for those living in certain areas:
Between 2023 and mid-2025, more than half a million (518,240) rat infestations were reported across the UK according to the data collected, indicating that:
- London is by far the most heavily rat infested area, with more than 118,000 reported infestations, accounting for almost one quarter of all recorded reports
- The North West and Scotland also indicated alarmingly high rates, at almost 95,000 and 70,000 reports respectively.
- Even less urbanised regions like the East Midlands have reported more than 11,500 infestations since 2023.
Projected data based on the existing findings suggests that the remainder of 2025 will follow a similarly grim trend in terms of newly reported rat infestations.
| Region | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Grand Total | |
| 1 | London | 48,061 | 48,873 | 21,659 | 118,593 |
| 2 | North West | 39,445 | 37,729 | 17,822 | 94,996 |
| 3 | Scotland | 25,737 | 27,736 | 15,958 | 69,431 |
| 4 | West Midlands | 22,142 | 14,813 | 7,807 | 44,762 |
| 5 | Wales | 18,405 | 17,645 | 8,338 | 44,388 |
| 6 | Yorkshire and The Humber | 14,918 | 15,188 | 7,118 | 37,224 |
| 7 | South East | 14,835 | 14,314 | 5,968 | 35,117 |
| 8 | North East | 13,507 | 9,819 | 6,386 | 29,712 |
| 9 | Northern Ireland | 5,251 | 5,475 | 4,692 | 15,418 |
| 10 | East Midlands | 4,955 | 4,421 | 2,193 | 11,569 |
| 11 | South West | 3,902 | 4,352 | 1,945 | 10,199 |
| 12 | East of England | 2,558 | 3,240 | 1,033 | 6,831 |
| Grand Total | 213,716 | 203,605 | 100,919 | 518,240 |
What is driving rat infestations?
Rats are masters of adaptation, and modern living has only helped them to thrive. Urban density, climate change and aging infrastructure across parts of the UK all play a part.
Yet many homeowners don’t realise how often rats are able to enter properties through the drains and pipe systems designed with the intention of keeping us safe.
What are the key risks rats pose to your property?
Rats aren’t just unsightly, they are destructive, unhygienic, and alarmingly resourceful. Discovering their presence in and around your home or commercial property can lead to serious issues, both structurally and in terms of health.
- Rats have incredibly strong teeth and a natural instinct to gnaw. This behaviour can become problematic when plastic pipes are chewed through, leading to cracks or bursts.
- While more resistant, concrete and clay drains can still be eroded this way at weak points or joints
- Underground pipes can also collapse or leak, often leading to flooding, foul smells from drains, and potentially very expensive excavation work
This type of damage often goes unnoticed until significant issues emerge, which is why proactive CCTV drain surveys are critical.
Once inside a drainage system, rats can travel surprisingly long distances and find points of entry into your property, with common routes including:
- Faulty or unsealed pipe joints
- Disused or open pipework leading into walls or floors beneath
- Toilet backflow, especially in properties without rat blockers
This gives the rats access to cavity walls, lofts, attics and underfloor spaces / basements. Once inside these spaces, they can build nests, chew internal wiring leading to potential fire hazards, and contaminate insulation and air ducts.
Rats are well known carriers of numerous harmful bacteria, many of which can pose serious health risks to humans:
- Salmonella – spread through contaminated food or surfaces
- Hantavirus – carried in rat droppings and urine, posing respiratory risks
- Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease) – a bacterial infection transmitted through rat urine, which can lead to liver failure or death in extreme cases
- Allergenic trigger – rat dander, droppings, and urine can exacerbate asthma and allergic reactions
Rat prevention starts below ground
Rats are silent intruders, until they’re not. If you’re seeing signs like droppings, gnaw marks, or hearing noises in the walls, it’s time to act. With the growing scale of the UK’s rat problem highlighted in our researched data, early detection through your drains can save thousands in structural and health costs.
With infestations reaching record highs, prevention is more important than ever.
At Drain Detectives, we use high-definition CCTV inspections to detect signs of rodent intrusion directly within your drainage system. Whether it’s a cracked pipe or a dislodged junction, we find the weak points before rats do.
- Book a CCTV drain survey – especially if you’ve had previous infestations
- Repair broken pipework and install rat blockers to stop access from sewers
- Keep food waste sealed and gardens tidy to reduce surface level invaders
Methodology
A total of 251 FOI requests were submitted to local councils across the UK. Each request specifically asked for the number of reported rat infestations on council-owned buildings, encompassing residential, commercial, and public properties within their respective jurisdictions, for the period covering 2023, 2024, and up to mid-2025.
Of the 251 requests sent:
- 46 councils did not respond within the timeframe, and their data could not be included in this analysis.
- 10 councils reported that they did not hold the requested information.
- The remaining 195 councils successfully provided the requested data.