To be honest, if you're caring for them properly you shouldn't really have an issue with smell. Most animals have a smell, and you are going to smell them, but it shouldn't be overwhelming and soaking into the walls so that you have to replace them if you choose to move... if you cramp too many in a bin and don't clean them often enough, then maybe you would have that problem, otherwise they really shouldn't 'stink'.
You could always keep them in a pet-type setup, however that will likely make breeding your own rats pointless since I doubt you'll save much money doing so. Maybe it would since you don't need a LOT of rats, but I wouldn't know. It would definitely be a lot larger initial cost though, with buying a good cage and accessories, making bin cages for nursing, etc.
When kept clean though, I find they actually have a nice smell if you grab one and sniff 'em. Lol
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