370 Hancock Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216

370 Hancock Street is a three-story, two-family residential building located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, owned by Joseph Yaakovzadeh and constructed in 1901. The property has experienced several significant issues over the past few years, with the most recent concerns centered around rat activity, as evidenced by compliance inspections in June and July 2024 showing rodent presence. The building has undergone multiple construction-related incidents, including a construction project in 2024 that resulted in two Environmental Control Board violations against Chestnut Bricks LLC for working with an expired permit and performing unpermitted mechanical duct work installation, leading to fines totaling $1,250.

Prior to this, there were serious safety concerns in 2021, including illegal electrical wiring, gas piping issues, and a notable partial vacate order related to falling debris. The building has also faced unauthorized construction challenges, with multiple complaints about illegal conversions between 2021 and 2023, though inspection access was often not granted. More recent activities in early 2025 involved several complaints regarding adjacent buildings and excessive debris, but inspections did not warrant any violations.

The property’s maintenance history shows a mix of compliance and violations, with rat activity observably fluctuating between 2018 and 2024. Most concerning are the multiple instances in 2021 where inspectors were unable to gain access to verify complaints regarding illegal conversions, electrical wiring issues, and gas piping concerns. While some recent complaints have been resolved without violations, the pattern of construction-related issues and pest control challenges suggests ongoing management and maintenance concerns. The building's age and history of unauthorized construction attempts, combined with recent rat activity findings, indicate that basic maintenance and compliance with building codes have been recurring challenges for this property.