Residents living on Randolph Road in Toronto’s Leaside neighborhood are facing a rat infestation caused by a neighbor who persistently feeds wildlife in her yard. Jennifer King, a nearby resident, resorted to hiring an exterminator at a hefty cost of $3,000 earlier this year to address the rats that had invaded her home’s walls and attic, causing significant distress.
According to Coun. Rachel Chernos Lin, representing the homeowners on Randolph Road, a resident on the street was charged a few months back for unlawfully feeding wildlife and is also under scrutiny for a yard cluttered with garbage. The act of feeding backyard wildlife was permissible until 2023 when the city amended its animal bylaw to prohibit such feeding, except for songbirds, due to the associated risks.
City officials have received numerous complaints from homeowners about their neighbors violating this bylaw, with 3,787 complaints in 2023 and 3,897 in 2024. Feeding wildlife in private yards can attract unintended animals like rodents, posing public health and safety hazards, as stated by city staff.
King, who had not encountered rodent issues in her 25 years on Randolph Road until this year, described hearing rats in the walls and observing their presence in her backyard. Despite her efforts to address the situation by asking her neighbor to cease feeding the animals, the problem persisted.
While an exterminator successfully eradicated the rats from inside her home, King mentioned that hundreds still roam in her backyard. Concerned about the health implications and emotional toll on her friend Janet Bolton, who also lives in the neighborhood, King is distressed by the ongoing situation.
The problem seems localized to one or two blocks of Randolph Road, south of Eglinton Avenue and west of Laird Drive. Efforts by residents, including a signed letter requesting the neighbor to stop feeding wildlife, have not yielded results. Chernos Lin highlighted the potential consequences for violating property standards and the bylaw, with fines reaching up to $100,000.
King suggested that nearby construction activities might have disturbed rats at a vacant lot on Laird Avenue, attracting them to her street due to the food source in her neighbor’s yard. Despite considering moving out due to the frustration, she emphasized the need for continued vigilance and reporting incidents to city authorities for prompt action.
Chernos Lin emphasized the importance of neighborly communication to prevent minor issues from escalating, urging residents to report incidents to 311 and seek assistance from city councillors or mediators if disputes persist.
