Hoogerwerf’s Sumatran rat is a montane rodent of northern Sumatra, with specimens recorded from Mt. Leuser at 2,133–2,835 m.
The original description calls it a medium-sized brown rat with long, soft fur. Its tail is longer than the head and body, with the distal half white.
Mt. Leuser specimens are associated with montane forest where moss and ferns cover the ground and branches. Later patches of grass with low shrubs and trees are also reported in the older records summarized by a 2020 paper.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.