541 Knickerbocker Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11221

541 Knickerbocker Avenue is a 4-story, 6-unit New Law Tenement building constructed in 1931 and currently owned by Mark Benitez. The building has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over recent years, with the most pressing concerns being related to heating systems and pest control. In late 2022, there was an emergency complaint regarding lack of heat and hot water affecting the entire building, though these services were reportedly restored shortly thereafter.

More recently, in April 2025, there was a day care facility-related complaint investigated by the NYC Health Department. The building has also faced persistent rodent control challenges, with rodent inspections between 2022 and 2025 showing varying results, including instances of rat activity noted in late 2023 and late 2024. The property has a documented history of maintenance violations and corrective actions, particularly focused on apartments 2B and 3B.

In 2023, a violation was identified in apartment 2B regarding ceiling paint color, and in 2021, multiple violations were recorded in apartment 3B concerning wall and ceiling paint, flooring, and kitchen faucet issues, though all these violations were subsequently certified as corrected. The building has experienced bedbug issues, with the most recent report from 2025 indicating one infested unit that has since been eradicated, showing a history of these pests between 2019 and 2025, though the situation has generally improved in recent years. Infection-related complaints, including unsanitary conditions involving garbage/recycling storage, have been addressed through HPD's intervention, with no violations being issued in some cases.