You generally don’t want to have rats around. They are scavengers and can cause a lot of destruction. We have rats that come up from the greenbelt behind us. They will try to burrow and nest everywhere. And their nests are absolutely disgusting and can carry diseases because they poop everywhere. We had one chew through the insulation and get into our garage. Thankfully it didn’t nest in there but it took me days to clean all the shit off everything.

As far as your garden is concerned you can try planting some lavender. It is a natural deterrent for them.

Some dog breeds are great at getting rid of them too. My small dog is quick and can corner them easily. And my German shepherd will grab them off the fence or out of the pool. I also let our small dog sniff around in the garage about once a week to check all the small cracks or places they can get in.