177 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201

177 Columbia Heights is a 4-story, 29-unit residential building in Brooklyn Heights, originally built in 1879 and currently owned by Peter Sanfilippo. The building has experienced recurring rodent issues, with recent sightings confirmed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in March 2024 and persistent rat activity documented in both initial and compliance inspections throughout 2024, and previously in 2022.

The property has a mixed history of code compliance, with a notable cluster of violations related to construction safety and equipment in 2022, including unauthorized scaffolding and sidewalk shed installations that resulted in multiple Environmental Control Board violations, though most of these have since been resolved. Significant safety-related violations were recorded in 2018 for Apartment 21 regarding missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as defective bathroom tiles, all of which were certified as corrected. The building's plumbing infrastructure has had documented issues, with an emergency water supply complaint filed in February 2020, though inspectors were unable to gain access to verify the issue.

Contrary to some concerns, the building has maintained a consistent record of bedbug prevention, with no reported infestations in recent years, as documented in multiple annual filings from 2020 through 2024 showing zero infested or eradicated units. The property has undergone regular inspections, with a relatively high number of compliance checks for construction safety equipment between 2022-2023, resulting in various outcomes including "No Violation Warranted" findings. While the recent rat activity continues to be a concern, it is worth noting that prior to the most recent inspections, the building had several consecutive years of passed rat inspections (2015-2020), suggesting some periodic fluctuations in pest control effectiveness.