Years of Neglect: Heat, Pests, and Broken Security.
Pros
Good location = safe neighborhood, close to subways, lots of restaurant/bar options, diverse community.
Cons
I live in this building and want to share what daily life here has been like so future renters can make an informed decision. The entire building is rent stabilized, but the landlady and her real estate agent have repeatedly lied to both past and current tenants about the building’s legal status. Some apartments were never properly registered, and others were registered as vacant while occupied. The broker used to rent units does not disclose the rent-stabilized status. The building recently came out of a commercial foreclosure case (Index #519321/2025), which may help explain some of the neglect, but tenants have paid the price for years. From winter 2023 through spring 2024, multiple units went without heat. Only after housing court involvement did the landlord "gut-renovate” the heating system, repair the rear fire escape, patch rat holes, and finally install a working intercom/buzzer system. Even now, heat is kept at the bare legal minimum, often around 62–64°F, and is shut off around midnight, causing apartments to drop in temperature overnight. Tenants are told to use space heaters despite high electricity costs. There are ongoing serious habitability issues: |Rats and mice entering through holes in walls| |Roach infestations| |Heavy pigeon presence and feces buildup| |Repairs frequently go ignored or delayed| Security is also an ongoing problem. The front door locks are often broken or taped open, allowing unauthorized access. This makes the building feel unsafe and unmanaged. Many tenants have moved out due to mold, lack of heat, years without a functioning buzzer/intercom, ongoing pest issues, and general safety concerns. The building is surrounded by major construction on multiple sides (Pacific Street & Boerum Place, Atlantic Avenue & Boerum Place, and soon Smith Street & Pacific Street). Construction noise from the Brooklyn Detention Center is loud and constant, six days a week from early morning through evening (7am to 11pm,) and this is expected to continue until 2029. Overall, this building has long-standing maintenance, honesty, and safety issues. Repairs tend to happen only after legal pressure, and basic conditions are often ignored until tenants escalate. I would strongly advise prospective renters to research the building carefully, request the full rent history, and speak directly with current tenants before signing a lease. Also - be mindful that a level 2 registered sex offender resides in the building (Offender Id: 55555) Many of the building’s issues can be traced back to this tenant, their destructive behavior to the property, and unwillingness to cooperate with building-wide processes that affect all units.
Advice to the owners
Meet basic legal standards before tenants are forced to escalate. Keep heat on overnight, secure entry doors, address infestations consistently, and stop misrepresenting rent-stabilized status. Respectful communication and timely maintenance would go a long way toward restoring trust.
Location is the best part
Pros
Location, other tenants nice
Cons
The landlord is very unresponsive to anything that isn’t what they deem an emergency - Tons of issues with the building itself - personally encountered a broken buzzer (still not fixed), LEAKS (so many leaks) faulty radiator, very very poor plumbing/drainage in general, problems with opening my front door (dangerous for emergencies), hot water has stopped working briefly on occasion. (The building’s handyman that comes to fix things is very kind and usually responsive)
Advice to the owners
I think they are aware of what they are doing / not doing so just do your job and fix things.
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