3901 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

The three-family house at 3901 5th Avenue in Sunset Park, owned by Eugene Zhitkov, has experienced several significant maintenance and habitability issues in recent years. Most concerning are the recurring heating system problems, with emergency heat/hot water complaints filed in November 2024 and most recently in February 2025, though HPD inspectors were unable to gain access to verify the conditions in both instances.

The building has also faced ongoing rodent issues, with multiple inspections between 2024 and 2025 revealing rat activity, and bait applications recorded in April and August 2024. Various housing maintenance code violations were documented in late 2024, including the presence of an abandoned refrigerator in a public hall, illegal security modifications, and unauthorized storage items in common areas on the third story. The property has been relatively free of serious pest incidents, as evidenced by consistent bedbug reports from 2019 through 2024 showing zero infested units.

However, there have been multiple complaints requiring city agency intervention, including a November 2023 rat sighting, a food establishment permit violation in November 2023, and a May 2024 complaint about unsanitary pigeon conditions. Most recently, in 2025, there is an open non-emergency complaint regarding general ventilation systems that remains unresolved as of the current date. The building's documented history shows persistent issues with access problems during inspections, as inspectors were unable to gain entry in multiple instances, which has hindered proper investigation and resolution of various complaints.