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A rat takeover inside of a Longwood deli has left the business owner at odds. Dwanye Henry can be found cooking up traditional Jamaican dishes at his jerk chicken stand on Rosedale Avenue in Soundview every day. Henry came to the states from Jamaica in 2015 with a dream of opening his own deli inspired by his grandmothers cooking. “I saved up all my money, get my tax return and I bought this cart right here,” said Henry. After operating his food cart and saving up enough money to rent a space, Henry was able to make his dream a reality. In 2020, he signed a lease for a storefront on Westchester Avenue. But he says it wasn’t long before he discovered a rat infestation in the building that spilled over into his deli. “Since my days of being in the country of America, its the first I’ve ever seen so much rat in one place – they bite up every single thing,” said Henry. Henry says he had an exterminator come through and lay down traps, but each day he entered his store he says his products were chewed through and destroyed. He says the rats even began to chew on wires and through the floor and ceiling. “I could not keep nothing inside the store the rats bit up everything,” said Henry. The problem escalated when a fire broke out in September. The FDNY determined the cause of the fire was electrical. “The fire was caused by an electrical problem. Who’s responsible? The rat bit up all the electrical stuff inside there,” said Henry. Unable to turn a profit, Henry fell behind on rent and was taken to court by his landlord. Although he says he filed 311 complaints, and made his landlord aware of the rat problem, the court moved forward with an eviction. “Most leases not only shift the responsibility of making repairs to the commercial tenant, but most leases also say that the duty to pay rent is absolute and separate from any responsibilities that the landlord may have,” said Rolando Gonzalez, a Community Development attorney with the Legal Aid Society. Gonzalez says there is no city law that protects commercial tenants. “Commercial tenants would get legal assistance before they enter into a lease. We provide free legal assistance and there are other organizations that do as well. But before a commercial tenant faces an eviction proceeding, it’s important for a commercial tenant to seek legal advice to see what the possibilities are. They might be able to negotiate with the landlord, they might be able to speak to an attorney and get advice on how they might be able to litigate and maybe work out some type of settlement,” said Gonzalez. Henry has since reopened his food cart on Rosedale Avenue which he now relies on solely for income to support his wife and children. He is hoping to save up enough money to eventually reopen his storefront. “I know I am doing the right thing, I own a business, I get up every morning, like your supposed to do and take care of the business, I can no longer do the business anymore,” said Henry. News 12 have reached out to the attorney representing the landlord and are waiting for a response. ”