4228 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

This 4-story, 6-unit old law tenement building at 4228 5th Avenue in Sunset Park, currently owned by Xiang Yang, has experienced persistent heating system issues, particularly between late 2024 and early 2025, with multiple tenant complaints regarding heat and hot water problems. While some complaints were resolved through telephone communication, others resulted in HPD inspections. The building has also faced significant maintenance challenges, particularly during 2024, with violations issued for a water leak and unsanitary mold conditions.

More seriously, there was a fire incident in 2021 that resulted in fire, smoke, and water damage to commercial spaces on the first floor, leading to a vacate order and a $12,000 penalty that remains unpaid as of September 2023. The building's heating system has been a recurring concern, with multiple violations related to inadequate heat supply, improper access to the heating system, and missing notices about heating system access requirements. Additional maintenance issues include a broken window in apartment 2R, various building code violations regarding signage, and concerns about plumbing water supply. The building's history reveals several tenant safety inspections between 2019 and 2021, none of which resulted in violations, and some complaints about work being done without proper permits in 2022 were investigated but no violations were found.

The property has active violations for failing to file required boiler and external low-pressure inspections in 2017 and 2019, respectively. While rodent inspections in 2017 showed initial rat activity, subsequent compliance inspections passed. The building's management has had difficulty addressing maintenance issues promptly, as evidenced by multiple open violations regarding heating system access and safety requirements. The most recent complaints from June 2025 primarily concerned missing general signage and electrical wiring, though many were categorized as non-emergency issues.