537 Ralph Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233

The three-story, three-unit building at 537 Ralph Avenue in Crown Heights, owned by Kenneth Knox and constructed in 1992, has experienced persistent heating and hot water system issues in early 2025. Between January 31 and February 26, 2025, there were ten separate complaints regarding heat and hot water problems, including four building-wide outages, with multiple units affected.

Most of these complaints were classified as emergencies, and while HPD conducted inspections, the conditions observed did not consistently violate housing laws, though there was one instance where access to apartments could not be obtained for inspection purposes. Additionally, there was one incident involving plumbing issues with a basin/sink in February 2025, and more recently, in March 2025, there was a complaint about insufficient lighting that was also investigated by HPD.

The building's bedbug reporting history shows no infestations or related issues from November 2022 through October 2024, with all reported units remaining clear of infestation during this period. Two compliance inspections under Local Law 188/17 were conducted in February 2025, with no violations noted at the time of inspection. While the heating system problems in early 2025 represent the most significant pattern of complaints during the available record period, the building's more recent complaints suggest that some systems may still be experiencing sporadic issues, though these are being addressed through normal HPD inspection and resolution processes.