557 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY 11225

The two-story, four-unit residential building at 557 Empire Boulevard in Crown Heights, built in 1924 and currently owned by Leona Hartley, has experienced ongoing pest management challenges over the past several years. Most notably, there has been a consistent pattern of rodent activity requiring attention, with at least eight documented instances of rat sightings or activity since 2022, as evidenced by both 311 service requests and DOHMH inspections.

Bait was applied during inspections in early 2025, following reports of rat activity earlier that year. The building's management has also faced regulatory scrutiny regarding bedbug reporting requirements, receiving four Housing Maintenance Code violations between 2021 and 2024 for failing to properly file annual bedbug reports, though the most recent July 2024 filing indicates no infected units during the period from November 2022 to October 2023.

While there have been periodic rodent control measures implemented, as evidenced by the April 2024 violation and subsequent inspections, the frequency of rat activity reports suggests an ongoing challenge in maintaining pest control standards. The building has passed some inspections and received treatment in various forms, including bait application, but the presence of active rodent sightings across multiple years indicates the need for continued monitoring of pest management efforts.