699 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11221

The four-story, 13-unit Old Law Tenement building at 699 Bushwick Avenue, owned by Sam Rubin and constructed in 1931, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over recent years. Most notably, there have been persistent problems with rodent activity, as evidenced by multiple inspections in 2023-2025 showing rat activity, with December 2024 being the most recent recorded instance. The building has also faced recurring heating issues, with a notable complaint about lack of heat and hot water in November 2023 affecting the entire building, though inspectors were unable to gain apartment access to verify the problem.

Pigeon waste and sanitary concerns have been reported, with the most recent complaint in September 2024. The building's maintenance history reveals several open safety violations from a June 2017 inspection, including issues with a broken staircase tread, missing or improper safety signage, and problems with self-closing doors at the roof bulkhead. There are also violations related to fire escape egress obstruction due to flower pots and wires on balconies, a missing smoke detector in apartment 4C, and an air conditioner installation violation in 3C.

While the building has consistently filed annual bedbug reports indicating no infestations between 2021-2025, the presence of multiple violations and maintenance issues suggests ongoing challenges with building upkeep. Recent inspections in 2022-2025 had mixed results, with some passing inspections (e.g., rat baiting in 2022) while others showed continued pest concerns. The most recent Department of Buildings complaint from November 2023 regarding vent/exhaust issues was closed without violation.