303 Douglass Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217

The four-story, four-unit tenement building at 303 Douglass Street in Gowanus, owned by Eddie Chung and built in 1920, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over the past few years. Most recently, in April 2024, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene identified rodent-related violations requiring follow-up inspections, with multiple instances of rat activity noted in 2024 (April and October).

The building has a documented history of heating system problems, particularly affecting Apartment 4, with emergency complaints regarding heat and hot water in December 2021 and January 2022 leading to official violations for inadequate heat supply and accessibility issues with the heating system. The property has faced various maintenance challenges, including mold remediation requirements in Apartment 4 (January 2022 inspection), bathroom repairs, and multiple housing maintenance code violations requiring attention to self-closing doors, public area encumbrances, and bathroom conditions.

Of particular concern are several open violations from 2018 regarding safety and emergency preparedness, including issues with the fire escape, missing safety signage for gas leak procedures, carbon monoxide detector requirements, and an incomplete inspection certificate posting. While the building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations over the past five years, with zero reported cases from 2018 to present, the persistent rodent activity and unresolved safety violations merit attention.