A rat infestation in Bed-Stuy is causing so much concern that the U.S. Postal Service said they’re pausing mail delivery to the apartment building.
It’s happening at a 4-story complex on Macon Street near Malcolm X Boulevard.
USPS posted a letter inside of the building, informing tenants that conditions are unsafe for mail carriers. Tenants now have to go to the post office to pick up their mail.
“[It’s] very frustrating,” said Amara Fauntleroy, a tenant. “I was so pissed. I was so upset.”
To make the mail matters worse, the letter from USPS stated that post-office pick-up is only on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“What if I can’t make it?” said Fauntleroy. “I believe that [USPS] said that they hold it for up to 15 days [before returning to sender].”
Fauntleroy added that the building, which is owned by DCA 1 Apartments Inc., does not have enough bins and some of the ones that they do have are broken.
“I went to open the garbage can and a rat jumped out at me,” said Fauntleroy.
Tenants said that rats are ripping bags open, dragging out food and running into burrows found all across the yard.
News 12 counted at least seven burrows on Thursday.
“People don’t want to come in [the front yard] because they’re scared, so they’ll throw their [garbage] bags,” said Fauntleroy.
“I’m scared [rats are] going to come into our house,” said Lisa, another tenant.
The building received a summons from the Department of Sanitation.
“Despite reaching out to management, despite reaching out to the super and maintenance, like nothing’s been done,” said Fauntleroy.
News 12 reached out to management several times on Thursday and is waiting for a response. News 12 did see a maintenance worker cleaning the area that afternoon.