1111 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11221

1111 Lafayette Avenue is a 4-story, 16-unit Old Law Tenement building located in Bushwick, built in 1931 and currently owned by Darren Rucker. The property has experienced recurring issues with heat and hot water, with the most recent complaint filed in October 2024 currently remaining open. The building has faced several significant maintenance challenges over the past few years, including a heavy water leak reported in August 2023 (closed May 2024), heat and hot water issues affecting the entire building in October 2022, and multiple violations related to safety equipment in 2022, including defective smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in Apartment 3B.

The building's common areas have been the subject of multiple violations, including exposed electrical wiring in the public hall and various door-related issues. Recent inspections in 2024 and 2025 have consistently shown evidence of rat activity, indicating ongoing pest control challenges, though the building has maintained a bedbug-free record based on official reports from 2021 through 2024. Of particular concern are the multiple open violations related to safety equipment and systems, including self-closing doors, security features, and emergency equipment in common areas.

The building also has several active violations regarding the failure to file required external low-pressure inspections between 2018 and 2023, suggesting potential issues with compliance to safety regulations. While the building has maintained a regular schedule of housing maintenance code violations inspections and generally closes most violations once addressed, the persistence of certain issues, such as the recent heat and hot water problems and ongoing rodent activity, indicates that some maintenance challenges remain unresolved or require repeated attention. The property has demonstrated some historical maintenance issues with various building systems, including plumbing, electrical, and general maintenance concerns, as evidenced by the multiple service requests and violations documented over the years.