473 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

The 6-unit, 4-story tenement building at 473 Grand Street in Williamsburg, owned by Charles Schwartz and constructed in 1910, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over the past decade. Most recently, in early 2024, there was a heat and hot water complaint that could not be investigated due to lack of access.

The building currently has multiple active Department of Buildings violations related to failure to file external low pressure inspections from 2018 through 2023, with the most recent violation issued in September 2024. Historical violations reveal a pattern of safety and maintenance concerns, including in 2016 when multiple issues were documented regarding a missing scuttle ladder and sealed scuttle cover in the fourth-story public hall, as well as an unlawful cooking space and unauthorized duplex conversion in the first-floor apartment.

Earlier violations from 2007-2013 involved various safety concerns, such as exposed wiring in the cellar, door self-closing mechanisms, and carbon monoxide detector requirements. Notably, the building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations in recent years, with all five annual reports from 2020-2024 showing no infested or eradicated units, and a passing rodent inspection in December 2018 suggests compliance with basic health standards. While the building has addressed many historical violations, the current pattern of unfiled external low pressure inspections and recent heat/hot water complaint suggests ongoing maintenance challenges.