261 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

261 Gates Avenue, a 6-story, 30-unit New Law Tenement building built in 1930 and currently owned by Carl Wallace, has experienced ongoing heat and hot water system issues throughout 2024-2025, with multiple complaints filed through 311 and HPD regarding both building-wide and individual apartment problems. The building had several heat/hot water-related service requests in early 2025 alone, with the HPD often unable to gain access to inspect the conditions. Prior to this, there were similar complaints about heat and hot water issues in late 2024, including multiple instances where heat and hot water were reportedly restored during inspections.

The building has also faced various maintenance challenges, as evidenced by Housing Maintenance Code Violations in 2024, including inadequate heat and hot water supply issues in apartments 5C and 6C, and multiple repair requirements in apartment 4E related to plumbing and bathroom fixtures. In 2021, the building encountered significant structural concerns, particularly regarding the front wall parapet, which was documented as leaning and bulging with spalling masonry and missing mortar, resulting in multiple Department of Buildings (DOB) violations with associated penalties. These issues were ultimately addressed and signed off on by August 2021.

The building has maintained generally good standards in other areas, with recent rodent inspections (2022-2025) consistently passing except for one failure in 2023. While there have been previous bedbug incidents reported between 2018-2021, the most recent filings from 2022-2024 indicate no active infestations or eradications. The property has shown compliance with various housing inspections and requirements, with most violations being resolved or dismissed, including those related to emergency heat/hot water situations and building maintenance standards.