279 Menahan Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237

The 6-unit, 3-story tenement building at 279 Menahan Street in Bushwick, built in 1931 and currently owned by Deodat Lowtan, has a concerning pattern of maintenance issues and pest problems over recent years. Most notably, there have been recurring rodent problems, with the most recent inspections in 2025 continuing to show rat activity, following previous findings of rat activity in late 2024 and throughout 2023.

The building has also experienced significant maintenance challenges, particularly in 2024 when multiple emergency housing maintenance code violations were documented, including issues with doors/windows, and missing smoke/carbon monoxide detectors in Apartment 2R. Earlier maintenance concerns from 2023 included various plumbing issues, water leaks, and window problems that required multiple inspections. The building's violation history reveals several ongoing challenges, including a current open violation for a roach infestation in Apartment 3L from March 2024, though many previous violations have been addressed and closed.

Inspection records indicate the building underwent multiple inspections related to rodent activity, with varying results from "Passed" to "Rat Activity" between 2023 and 2025. An interesting note is the complete absence of bedbug reports in recent years, as indicated in the building's annual filings from 2019 through 2024. The property has also faced several complaints regarding unauthorized work, vacant building conditions, and emergency door/window issues, though many of these complaints were either closed without violations or resulted in the inspector being unable to gain access for verification.