Over 10 rats were filmed on a sidewalk in Sfânta Vineri Square, in the center of Bucharest. The images circulated on social networks, and the City Hall acknowledges that the issue has been known for several months, although repeated rat extermination interventions have been carried out in the area.
According to the municipality, rats continue to appear because they find plenty of food: household waste thrown on the street, full or damaged garbage bins, and food left for cats and birds.
In a response sent to the request from București.ro, the City Hall specifies that the issue has been known for several months. Between February and July 2026, three complaints and one self-report regarding the presence of rodents were recorded in the area.
Each time, the teams of the Municipal Company Eco-Igienizare checked the rat poison stations, refilled or replaced the substances, and, where necessary, increased their number.
What the City Hall found in the area
Following inspections conducted in May, on I.C. Brătianu and Coposu boulevards and in Sfânta Vineri Square, authorities discovered household waste thrown on sidewalks and green spaces, damaged or full garbage bins, and containers with food and water for cats and birds.
"Uncontrolled household waste and commercial spaces with food profiles provide permanent and alternative sources of food for rats, reducing the effectiveness of treatments, regardless of their frequency," explains the City Hall.
The City Hall maintains that, in order to get rid of rodents, timely garbage collection, removal of food waste, and closing off spaces where rats can shelter are also necessary, including near sewers and basements.
Sfânta Vineri Square is located in Sector 3, and București.ro has also requested the sector's city hall to specify who is responsible for cleanliness in the area where the rats were filmed. At the time of publishing this news, no response had been received.
Over 8 million lei for rat extermination
For 2026, the rat extermination program of the Capital provides for expenses of over 8 million lei. Depending on the type of space, between two and four treatments are scheduled per year.
According to the City Hall, two treatments have already been completed on the open spaces managed by the municipality, and the third one is in progress.