138 St James Place, Brooklyn, NY 11238

The three-story, two-unit brownstone at 138 St James Place in Clinton Hill, built in 1872 and currently owned by George Gittens, has experienced several significant maintenance issues in recent years. Most notably, in September 2024, the property had multiple concurrent complaints including water leaks (both slow and heavy flow), mold, unsanitary conditions (including pest issues), and various electrical and safety concerns, particularly regarding lighting and wiring.

While the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) conducted inspections, no violations were ultimately issued for some of these complaints, though they were unable to complete inspections for several issues including cabinet problems, electrical concerns, fire escape matters, and appliance-related complaints. The building has a documented history of illegal hotel room complaints between 2019 and 2024, though inspectors were unable to gain access on multiple occasions during their investigations.

Additionally, the property has faced some security concerns, as evidenced by two Class C violations in September 2024 related to self-closing door mechanisms at building entrance and vestibule doors. However, on a positive note, the building has maintained a clean bedbug record over the past four reporting periods from 2021 to 2024, with no reported infestations or related issues during the documented time frames. The property has also complied with Housing Maintenance Code requirements for bedbug reporting, submitting annual reports as required.