154 Penn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

154 Penn Street, a 3-unit, 3-story converted Class A building in Williamsburg, has encountered persistent maintenance and compliance challenges in recent years. The property has been facing significant rodent infestation issues, with multiple rat sightings reported between 2023 and 2024, including recent complaints in July 2024. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has conducted several inspections, finding violations that required follow-up inspections, and as of 2025, inspections continued to document rat activity at the location.

Additionally, there are ongoing concerns about the building's structural and safety conditions, with multiple active violations from 2024 related to unpermitted construction work. These include substantial unpermitted demolition and structural modifications that pose potential hazards, for which the Department of Buildings has issued penalties totaling $50,000. The building has also accumulated Housing Maintenance Code violations for failing to file required annual bedbug reports between 2021 and 2024.

The property owner, Joel Lowy, has been involved in multiple compliance tracking inspections, with some resulting in violation notices. While there have been attempts to address these issues, as evidenced by recent permit applications, including an issued permit in January 2025 for alteration work, the ongoing rodent problems and structural violation backlog indicate persistent maintenance challenges. The building's inspection history shows a pattern of both regulatory compliance efforts and recurring violation notices, suggesting ongoing difficulties in maintaining the property in accordance with city regulations.