71 Underhill Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

The four-story, eight-unit tenement building at 71 Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights, owned by Apostolos Leonardos, has experienced several significant maintenance and quality of life issues over recent years. The most recent and concerning incident occurred in January 2024, when residents reported a lack of heat and hot water throughout the building, though the Department of Housing Preservation and Development was unable to gain access for inspection. This followed a pattern of heat-related complaints, as evidenced by housing maintenance code violations and emergency filings.

Notably, the building has maintained a consistent record of submitting bedbug reports between 2021 and 2025, with all reports showing zero infested units, though there were multiple violations in 2021-2022 regarding the timely filing of these reports under Housing Maintenance Code § HMC. The property has faced persistent challenges with rodent activity, particularly evident between 2020 and 2025. Multiple inspections in 2020-2021 showed rat activity as a recurring issue, though subsequent inspections in 2024 and 2025 resulted in varying outcomes, including both rat activity and compliance passes.

The building's management has demonstrated some responsiveness to extermination, as indicated by bait application in January 2021. While the bedbug situation appears to have been resolved, the rodent issue appears to be ongoing, with the most recent inspection in May 2025 indicating rat activity. The building's age, dating back to 1930, combined with these maintenance challenges, suggests ongoing attention to building systems and pest control is required, though recent compliance passes in rodent inspections indicate some improvement in management response.