Distraught elderly cancer survivor, 71, is forced to live in NYC apartment filled with RATS

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 17:14, 6 April 2026 | Updated: 17:17, 6 April 2026 An elderly cancer survivor in New York City claims she is forced to live in a rat-infested apartment despite desperate pleas with her landlord.  A tearful Cora Robinson, 71, says she arms herself with a piece of plywood in her battle against rats that keep returning to her home in the Bronx.  'I thought it would keep them from running around the baseboard, but now what they are doing - they're so big, they jump over it,' Robinson told ABC 7.  In an attempt to defend her home, she had put up a piece of wood to try and block the rats from going into the kitchen - but her efforts were in vain.   The breast cancer survivor said she would move out of the home if she could, but she can't currently afford to do so and claimed to have been battling the infestation for nearly a whole year.  Robinson recalled how, after discovering two rats sifting through her kitchen on Friday night, her hopes of hosting for Easter were completely squashed.  She worries about her health and what she and her dog are being exposed to.  'I can't sleep, I'm not eating. And if I don't stop this, I'm going to wind up in the hospital. I almost wound up there yesterday,' she said.  Cora Robinson, 71, arms herself with a piece of plywood in her battle against rats that keep returning to her home in the Bronx Robinson recalled how, after discovering two rats sifting through her kitchen on Friday night, her hopes of hosting for Easter were completely squashed The breast cancer survivor said she would move out of the home if she could, but she can't currently afford to do so and has been battling the infestation for nearly a whole year 'I'm tired of cleaning poop off the stove. I mean, it's terrible. If you turn the oven on, it smells like them.' Robinson elected to keep her dog's water, bed and food in her bedroom to keep the rats at bay.  'I can't leave it out here because they'll get into it,' she told the outlet.  She had filed multiple complaints with the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which has previously cited her landlord, the outlet reported.  'All these people need to come and take a look and smell. That's what I wish they would do,' she said.  But the ordeal continues to take a toll on the cancer survivor who said: 'I'm just done.' 'I'm so disgusted because it's not right that I should have to live like this.' Robinson said she has been unable to sleep or eat properly and fears for her well-being after already battling health issues  According to the outlet, Asden Management and the landlords were all involved in a lawsuit in 2023 that alleged unlivable conditions. A lawyer for the tenant's told ABC 7 that the case was still pending.  Over 30 tenants sued Asden Management after claiming the building had been in disrepair for years, as residents complained about missing stoves, broken fridges, rat infestations, mold and leaks. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development cited 561 open violations associated with the property, with 206 being considered 'Class C' violations, News 12 reported.  Douglas Henderson Jr, a lawyer representing the tenants, told the outlet: 'We're not asking for the yellow brick road. We're just asking for a decent place to live for our tenants.'  Sherene Morris, a tenant and mother without a working stove, told the outlet in 2024 that she was also living in the building with rats and a broken fridge.  'I reached out to the landlord three times and they refuse to do anything for me,' she said. 'They didn't respond.' The Daily Mail reached out to Robinson and Asden Management for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.