691 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

The two-family house at 691 Washington Avenue in Crown Heights, owned by Rachel Phipps and constructed in 1930, has a concerning record of maintenance issues over recent years. Most notably, there have been ongoing problems with heat and hot water throughout the entire building, with a recent complaint filed in February 2024 that resulted in an HPD inspection where access could not be gained to verify the issue.

The building currently faces multiple active violations from the Department of Buildings, all dating from June 2023, relating to failures to file required external low-pressure inspections for the years 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022, as well as an active violation from November 2019 regarding non-filing of the 2017 boiler inspection report. The property has also experienced significant rodent control challenges, with inspections revealing persistent issues over the past two years. Most recent inspection data shows rat activity was confirmed in June 2025, and failed compliance in October 2024, while a May 2024 inspection failed for unspecified reasons.

These rodent control challenges appear to be documented from 2023 onwards, with only one successful inspection noted in May 2023. Additionally, there was a food establishment-related complaint regarding toilet facilities filed with DOHMH in December 2022, though this was ultimately administratively closed by June 2024. The building's maintenance history suggests ongoing challenges with both basic services and compliance with inspection requirements, with particular attention needed to the active violations regarding safety inspections and the recurring issues with heat and rodent control.