18 Irving Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237

As of July 2025, 18 Irving Avenue in Bushwick is a 16-unit, 4-story New Law Tenement building owned by Jacob Birnboum and constructed in 1931. The property has experienced recurring pest issues, particularly with rodents, as evidenced by multiple 311 complaints and Housing Maintenance Code complaints throughout 2025. The building has undergone several inspections with confirmed rat activity detected in multiple months, including April, June, and July 2025, despite bait being applied during earlier inspections.

The property also faced significant maintenance challenges in late 2024, with multiple violations issued during an October inspection of Apartment 3B, including issues with mold, pests (both roaches and mice), various surface repairs needed (walls, flooring, cabinets), and problems with plastered surfaces requiring attention. Additional concerns emerged in 2024-2025 regarding building systems and basic services. A December 2024 complaint about heat and hot water was resolved, though it appears to have been a temporary issue.

The building's management faced scrutiny for an unauthorized apartment modification in 2023 (an illegal conversion of Unit 2C), resulting in an Environmental Control Board violation. Additionally, there are multiple open violations related to the failure to file external low-pressure inspections for the years 2019-2022, though one violation from 2022 was dismissed in July 2023. While the building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbugs since 2020, with no reported infestations in recent years, the persistent rodent issues and multiple maintenance violations suggest ongoing challenges with property upkeep and pest control.