278 Grove Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237

278 Grove Street is a 3-unit, 3-story building located in Bushwick, Brooklyn, that was built in 1925 and currently owned by Zhenrong Lin. The building has experienced recurring heat and hot water issues, with numerous complaints filed between 2019 and 2020, affecting both individual apartments and the entire building. While these complaints were generally addressed (many through tenant reports of restoration), there were also several instances where HPD inspectors were unable to gain access to the affected units for verification.

In March 2020, multiple safety-related complaints were filed regarding non-functional smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, though access issues again prevented inspection verification. The building has undergone several infrastructure inspections and maintained an active bed bug reporting history from 2019 through 2025, consistently showing zero infested or re-infested units. More recent evidence suggests ongoing maintenance challenges, with multiple rodent activity inspections recorded between 2022 and 2025, though some inspections have also shown passing results.

The building underwent significant scrutiny in 2020 regarding unauthorized alterations, with fines issued for installing full-height partitions converting a living room into a bedroom on the second floor, and for maintaining disconnected smoke detectors. Violations were also recorded related to defective fire safety equipment and unsanitary conditions in Apartment 1 during 2020, including an infestation of roaches that required abatement. The property owner has generally addressed violations within required timelines, including repairs to emergency systems in mid-2020, and there is a currently active permit (issued July 2020) on record for work conducted at the property.