5519 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11220

The four-story, six-unit apartment building at 5519 5th Avenue in Sunset Park, owned by Hongqing Li, has been standing since 1931 and has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over recent years. Most notably, there have been multiple open violations related to safety concerns, including a 2019 fire escape issue categorized as an emergency, and multiple violations from 2018 involving unauthorized alterations in apartment 2L that created an interior room with inadequate light and ventilation.

These violations included problems with smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and a questionable partition wall that required legalization or restoration to its original condition. There were also serious fire safety concerns noted in 2018 regarding blocked fire escape egress from the 2nd to 4th floor balconies, household items obstructing fire escapes, and wires obstructing egress to the drop-ladder. More recent history shows some ongoing maintenance challenges, including a 2022 HPD inspection in response to pest complaints (though no violations were found) and multiple Department of Buildings complaints in 2019 regarding possible illegal conversions, though inspectors were unable to gain access for verification.

The building's safety equipment has reportedly been maintained, as indicated by the absence of any recent violations related to fire safety equipment. Notably, the building has maintained a consistent record of zero bedbug infestations in the past three years (2021-2024), with the most recent bedbug reports showing no affected units or required eradication efforts. While some violations remain open from 2018 related to unauthorized alterations and safety equipment, most issues from previous years have been resolved, though there have been multiple instances of inspectors being unable to gain access when following up on complaints.