196 Heyward Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206

The four-story, six-unit tenement building at 196 Heyward Street in Williamsburg, owned by Mendel Oppenheim and constructed in 1931, has experienced several notable maintenance and safety concerns in recent years. From late 2023 through early 2024, there was a series of water supply issues reported through 311 service requests, with multiple complaints filed by tenants between December 2023 and March 2024, though inspections by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) did not result in any violations.

In late 2023, there were also complaints regarding construction dust affecting indoor air quality, with the NYC Health Department issuing advisories to the property management. The building has had recurring safety and maintenance violations since 2022, including an open violation regarding an iron gate obstructing egress from the south fire escape, and a previously addressed issue involving excessive vegetation obstructing fire escape access. Multiple complaints were filed in December 2023 regarding work being conducted without proper permits, though inspections typically found no violations at the time.

There are currently several active violations related to failure to file required external low-pressure inspections between 2018 and 2023. The property has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations, with no reported cases in the past six years. Notably, there was a full gut renovation apparently conducted on the second, third, and fourth floors in late 2023 without proper permits, which resulted in a $1,250 Environmental Control Board penalty.