255 Saratoga Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233

255 Saratoga Avenue is a three-story, three-unit residential tenement building located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, constructed in 1899 and currently owned by Norma Howard. The building has experienced numerous maintenance issues in recent months, with particular emphasis on water-related problems. Between February 2025 and May 2025, there were multiple reports of water leaks, including two emergency water leak complaints in heavy flow conditions in May and April 2025, and several other water-related issues including damp spots and plumbing problems involving toilets.

The building has also faced recurring issues with heat and hot water, as evidenced by three separate complaints in late 2024 and early 2025 regarding no heat or hot water in the entire building, though in each case, occupants reported that the problems were resolved upon inspection. Significant violations were issued during a September 2024 inspection, primarily affecting the first-floor apartment (Apartment 1) of the building, including issues with ceiling paint, water leaks, toilet flushing apparatus, and various vestibule door problems. The building's safety systems have also been a concern, with an open violation regarding non-functioning carbon monoxide detectors in Apartment 2.

There have been three complaints about illegal conversions of the building (2019, 2022, and 2023), though inspections were unable to gain access each time. Rodent activity has been documented throughout 2024, with multiple inspections showing either rat activity or requiring bait application, though a compliance inspection in November 2024 passed. The building's maintenance history shows a pattern of plumbing and water-related issues, along with challenges in heat and hot water systems, though many complaints have been addressed with varying degrees of success through HPD interventions.