699 Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216

The 6-unit, 4-story tenement building at 699 Dekalb Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, owned by Moses Karpen and built in 1931, has experienced several recurring maintenance issues over recent years, with the most recent concerns centered around pest control. A Complaint filed in August 2023 regarding unsanitary conditions and pests was closed due to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) being unable to gain access for inspection. This followed a pattern of access issues, as evidenced by multiple "Inspector Unable to Gain Access" results for other service requests between 2022-2023.

The building has had documented problems with various systems and safety features, particularly in Apartment 4 on the third floor, where multiple violations were identified in October 2022 relating to missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, window caulking issues, bathroom waste line problems, and a defective subfloor in the kitchen. While some violations were later closed, others, such as the window caulking issue, show a certified date of February 2023 without clear resolution status. The building has a documented history of heating system challenges, with emergency complaints about heat and hot water issues in 2020-2021, though records indicate these problems were resolved following tenant reports.

Recent activity shows the building has maintained a clean record in terms of bedbug infestations, with official reports from 2021-2024 showing zero infested units or instances of infestation requiring eradication. However, there are active violations related to external low-pressure inspection filings from 2023, and multiple complaints regarding work without permits between September 2022 and December 2022, though most resulted in "No Violation Warranted" or access issues for inspectors. The most recent rodent inspections from 2023-2025 have generally shown passing results, with only one failed inspection recorded in October 2023 for "Other Reasons." The building's maintenance record, while showing some systematic attention to issues, is marked by numerous access-related inspection failures and a mixture of resolved and ongoing violations, particularly regarding safety features in Apartment 4.