72 16th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215

The three-unit, three-story Old Law Tenement building at 72 16th Street in Gowanus, owned by Mitchell Brathwaite and dating back to 1899, has experienced several notable issues in recent years, particularly regarding pest management. Most concerning are the multiple rodent-related incidents in 2025, with rat sightings reported in March and April, though these were subsequent to earlier complaints and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene noted they were closing these complaints due to prior complaints about the same location.

A rodent inspection in February 2025 produced mixed results, with an initial finding of rat activity, followed by a subsequent compliance inspection that passed. The building has also faced recurring bed bug reporting violations, with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development issuing violations in 2021, 2022, 2023, and most recently in 2024, all related to the failure to file the required annual bedbug report as per Housing Maintenance Code requirements.

Looking at historical issues, there was a heating and hot water complaint in January 2019 that was classified as an emergency, though no violations were found upon inspection and the complaint was subsequently closed. While not necessarily indicative of ongoing problems, it's worth noting that the building's owner has faced scrutiny for not maintaining complete records, as evidenced by the multiple bedbug report violations over the years.