353 Knickerbocker Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237

353 Knickerbocker Avenue is a three-story, four-unit residential building in Bushwick, built in 1931 and currently owned by Abraham Avikasis. The building has experienced a series of significant structural and safety issues in recent years, most notably a fire incident in November 2023 that resulted in substantial damage including compromised windows, doors, smoke and water damage, charred joists, and an exposed roof.

This incident led to the building being vacated and placed under structural monitoring, with active Department of Buildings violations still pending resolution as of January 2024. In late 2023, two Environmental Control Board violations were issued regarding unauthorized room modifications in all four apartments, including the creation of additional bedrooms without proper ventilation and natural light, as well as unauthorized full-height partitions. The building has maintained consistent compliance with bedbug reporting requirements over recent years, with no documented infestations between 2019 and 2024.

The property has undergone regular rodent inspections, with the most recent inspections in 2025 showing either passed results or treatment measures being implemented in response to sightings. A rat sighting was reported in August 2024, though this was addressed promptly with an inspection that found only minor violations. While the building has experienced various maintenance challenges, including multiple 311 complaints and housing maintenance code violations for failure to file annual bedbug reports between 2021-2023, recent inspections suggest improved pest management practices, as evidenced by multiple passed rodent inspections and the absence of bedbug infestations in the past two reporting periods.