990 Putnam Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11221

The four-unit, four-story residential building at 990 Putnam Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, owned by Sandra Jennings, has experienced several concerning issues over recent years, particularly between 2020-2025. The property, classified as an OLD LAW TENEMENT and built in 1905, has consistently failed to file required annual bedbug reports from 2021 through 2024, resulting in four open class A Housing Maintenance Code violations. More alarmingly, there appears to be a persistent rodent problem, with rat activity documented in multiple inspections between 2022 and 2025, including three separate incidents in 2024 and 2025 that suggest ongoing infestation challenges.

The building also had an active Environmental Control Board violation from late 2022 related to improper storage of construction debris, including dangerous materials such as rusted nails, which incurred a penalty of $312 that remains outstanding. The Department of Buildings received two complaints in November 2022—one regarding work being done without a permit and another concerning failure to maintain the building—with the latter resulting in an Oath Violation. While these complaints were closed, their timing coincides with the period of bedbug report violations and rat activity findings.

The building's most recent rodent inspections in 2024 and 2025 (June, August, and May) indicate that this issue continues to be a significant concern despite past inspections having shown a "Passed" condition in March 2020. The persistence of multiple housing code violations over several years, particularly related to pest management and maintenance issues, suggests ongoing challenges in building upkeep. The most recent rat activity findings in 2025, following repeated documentation of similar issues through 2024, indicate that these problems have not been adequately resolved.