I haven’t much experience with rats but I do know they’re smarter than squirrels, and I’ve had those. I had squirrels that somehow thwarted traps, stole the food and got out, or knocked over the trap and picked the food out from between the bars.
Still, if you make a trap cozy you should be able to catch a rat. Get somebody else to do the bending. There are always folks happy to oblige, you only need to ask.
My squirrels, by the way, didn’t go for peanut butter as expected. They fell for it when I put in pieces of newspapers and a pizza crust! LOL, I think it was the dinosaur media that drew them in.
Yeah the rats love to shred the heck out of anything they can so I could enjoy making a rat hotel nice and cozy with a bit of d con and snacks inside.
I have a landscape/property care guy come out twice a month and he would help.
Have known him and his wife in the community for 20 yrs good at lending a hand.