213 North 5th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

213 North 5th Street in Williamsburg is a 3-story, 3-unit Old Law tenement built in 1880 and currently owned by Bill Lika. The building has experienced numerous maintenance issues in recent years, with particular concerns about water and heating systems. Most notably, there have been multiple water leak complaints (both heavy and slow leaks) between 2024-2025, with the most recent complaints filed in February 2025 remaining unresolved due to inspection access issues.

The building has also faced recurring heating problems, with multiple complaints about heat and hot water outages affecting both individual apartments and the entire building in late 2024, though some were resolved or confirmed to be temporarily corrected during inspections. A significant inspection in September 2024 resulted in violations being issued, though specific details were not provided in the summary. The property has several active violations and penalties issued by the Department of Buildings and Environmental Control Board.

These include issues with the boiler system (missing relief valve pipe, backflow preventer, and other maintenance concerns), building walls (missing and loose siding), and a lack of proper heating system/boiler room access information display. The building is currently cited as occupied by 7 apartments, despite records showing only 6 units, and there are also violations related to work performed without proper permits involving a vertical and horizontal enlargement to the cellar and 1st floor. Additional violations concern roof leaks affecting multiple apartments, various repairs needed in apartment 3L, and a requirement to file annual bedbug reports. Two building shaking/vibration complaints were recorded in July and December 2023, with one resulting in an Oath Violation, though inspectors did not warrant violations during the second complaint's inspection.