196 Roebling Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

This three-story, two-family residential building at 196 Roebling Street in Williamsburg, built in 1899 and owned by David Leiter, has experienced numerous maintenance and regulatory challenges over recent years. Most notably, the property has faced persistent rodent issues, with the most recent sightings reported in early 2023 leading to inspections that confirmed rat activity. Between 2020-2021, there were multiple bait applications and inspections indicating ongoing rodent problems.

The building underwent significant work in 2020-2021 that drew multiple Department of Buildings (DOB) violations, including improper temporary shoring in the cellar area and unauthorized construction of a full-height partition with water/waste lines. These violations resulted in fines totaling $10,625, though records show they were ultimately resolved. The property has active DOB violations for failure to file the 2018 external low-pressure inspection and failure to certify corrections for immediately hazardous violations issued in 2019-2022. The building's maintenance history shows attention to basic requirements, including regular bedbug reporting, which has indicated zero infestations for several years between 2019-2024.

In 2022, there were multiple Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) inspections related to unsanitary conditions and pests, though no violations were found in these inspections. The property also experienced issues with illegal construction work and occupancy violations in 2020, which resulted in a vacate order that was later rescinded. Recent records from 2024 show no confirmed pest infestations, and a rat compliance inspection passed in March 2023, though this followed a February 2023 inspection that documented rat activity. The history of service requests and violations suggests ongoing maintenance attention is necessary, particularly regarding building systems and pest control, despite some improvements in recent years.