121 Putnam Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

121 Putnam Avenue is a 3-story, 6-unit residential building in Bedford-Stuyvesant, owned by Michael Rochford and constructed in 1930 as a New Law Tenement. The building has experienced recurring issues with heat and hot water, particularly between 2023 and 2024, with multiple emergency complaints recorded for both apartment-specific and entire building issues during October and November 2024. The property has also faced various maintenance challenges, including gas-related concerns in February 2025, and plumbing and water leak issues in 2023-2024. Specifically, Apartment 2A has had documented violations as of October 2023, including issues with a water leak in the bathroom, missing sprinkler head plate cover, leaky kitchen sink faucets, and defective plastered surfaces in both the bathroom and kitchen.

Multiple inspection results between 2022 and 2025 indicate recurring rat activity, with the most recent rodent inspection in July 2025 passing, though previous inspections throughout 2023-2024 consistently showed evidence of rodent presence. The building's maintenance history reveals a pattern of persistent infrastructure problems, particularly concerning heating systems, as evidenced by multiple emergency complaints. In addition to these issues, there have been various interior maintenance concerns including problems with paint and plaster surfaces, particularly in Apartments 1A and 2B. On a more positive note, the building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations, with all recent reporting periods showing zero affected units between 2020 and 2025.

The property underwent several inspections and received various repairs and certifications, including work completed to address violations in late 2023, though some inspection requests from March 2023 could not gain access for verification. The building's recent history shows ongoing efforts to address maintenance issues, with inspections resulting in both violations and their subsequent certification as corrected. The most pressing concerns appear to be related to heating systems and plumbing infrastructure, though the property shows compliance with bedbug regulations and recent rodent inspections have passed. The owner has demonstrated responsiveness to complaints, as evidenced by the closure of multiple service requests through HPD, though the recurring nature of some issues suggests persistent infrastructure challenges.