244 Central Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11221

This three-story, six-unit residential tenement building at 244 Central Avenue in Bushwick, owned by Deodat Lowtan and built in 1931, has experienced ongoing heating and safety system challenges over the past few years. The building has been through numerous heat and hot water complaints, with ten separate incidents reported between May 2023 and January 2024.

Most of these complaints, particularly in May 2023, showed a pattern of access issues during HPD inspections, with multiple instances of inspectors being unable to gain entry to affected apartments. In January 2023, an inspection of Apartment 1L revealed several safety violations, including defective smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detecting devices, and door issues, though most of these were certified as corrected by March 2023. The building has also faced persistent rodent control challenges, with multiple inspections between 2023 and 2025 indicating rat activity, though some inspections passed.

A concerning pattern emerged in 2024 and into 2025, with consistent reports of rat activity despite bait application efforts in December 2023 and January 2024. However, on a positive note, the building has maintained a zero incidence of bedbug infestations according to official records from 2019 through 2024. While some heating system-related violations were recorded, most were addressed promptly, though the need for multiple emergency complaints suggests this remains a recurring issue.