480 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

The 6-unit, 4-story Old Law Tenement at 480 3rd Avenue in Gowanus, built in 1930 and currently owned by Herbert Villa, has faced recurring maintenance challenges in recent years, particularly regarding building-wide heat and hot water issues. Most notably, in October 2024, multiple complaints were lodged about heating problems affecting the entire building, which were investigated by HPD and resulted in violations being issued. Apartment 3L was found to have several safety concerns during inspections in October 2024, including missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, hot water issues, and problems with self-closing doors, along with access issues to the building's heating system being noted.

The building has demonstrated compliance with bedbug reporting requirements from 2021 through 2025, showing no documented infestations during these periods. The property has experienced some access issues with regulatory inspections and requests for documentation. There were two instances in 2022 and 2019 where inspectors were unable to gain access to the building during Certificate of Occupancy and Permit inspections, though these were ultimately resolved.

Historical records from 2016 showed evidence of rodent activity with two inspections noting rat presence, though a subsequent inspection in 2014 indicated compliance in this area. The building's maintenance history reveals a pattern of both immediate and systemic issues, particularly regarding heating systems and safety equipment, though many violations have been addressed through subsequent inspections. While the property has maintained current bedbug reporting requirements with no recorded infestations, the recent heating system issues and safety compliance concerns in 2024 warrant attention to ongoing maintenance patterns.