139 St Nicholas Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237

The four-unit, three-story Old Law Tenement building at 139 St Nicholas Avenue in Bushwick, owned by Chong Lee and constructed in 1931, has experienced several significant maintenance and pest control challenges over the past few years. Most notably, there is currently an active complaint entered in June 2025 regarding an illegal/improper vent/exhaust installation, following a closed investigation earlier this year concerning work done without a permit in the occupied multiple dwelling.

The building's bedbug situation appears to have reached a critical point in recent filings, with the 2025 report indicating all four units (including previously eradicated ones) exhibited infestations during the 2023-2024 reporting period. This followed a period of relative control, where between 2022-2023 no units were reported infested, contrasting with a previous wave of issues in 2021 when multiple violations were recorded concerning inadequate hot water supply, pest infestations, and window repairs in apartment 3R. The building's maintenance history shows a mix of resolved and ongoing concerns.

A 2021 inspection resulted in multiple violations related to hot water supply inadequacies and pest infestations in apartment 3R, along with various maintenance issues including window repairs and door self-closing mechanisms, all of which were certified as corrected between July 2021 and March 2022. Recent rodent inspections show varied results, with rat activity recorded in March 2025, though passing inspections were noted in April 2024, 2022, and earlier years. The property has maintained compliance with annual bedbug reporting requirements since 2021, though the recent 2025 filing suggests ongoing challenges with re-infestation across all units.