279 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Located at 279 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Heights, this four-story, three-unit building dating from 1889 has experienced several significant issues in recent years. Most notably, there is an active Department of Buildings Environmental Control Board violation (as of November 2023) regarding illegal occupancy changes of the first floor from a laundromat to a bar/restaurant, with a penalty of $1,250. Multiple Health Department (DOHMH) complaints in 2025 have raised concerns about indoor air quality, including persistent chemical vapors and an ongoing food establishment issue involving bare hands contacting food.

The building has had recurring rodent issues, with inspections in 2024 and 2025 noting rat activity, though previous inspections showed improvement. The property has an important history of maintenance concerns during 2021, including multiple emergency complaints about heat/hot water issues affecting the entire building, various appliance problems, and door/window repairs. Housing Maintenance Code violations indicate ongoing non-compliance with filing required annual bedbug reports between 2021 and 2024.

There are also violations related to building entrance requirements, including door arrangements, fire-retardant materials, and housekeeping issues in public areas, most of which were identified during a March 2021 inspection. Recent inquiries about unauthorized work in occupied multiple dwelling units in late 2023 were met with varied inspection outcomes, though some inspectors were unable to gain access. Additionally, there are active DOB violations for failure to file inspection reports for external low-pressure and boiler inspections dating from 2019 and 2023, respectively, suggesting ongoing compliance issues with required maintenance procedures.