1185 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11221

The three-story, six-unit building at 1185 Gates Avenue in Bushwick, owned by Joseph Lax, is a 1920 two-family structure that has experienced persistent maintenance challenges over recent years. Most notably, during 2018, the property faced multiple significant issues including emergency-level mold problems, water leaks, and plumbing concerns, particularly affecting flooring, ceilings, and sanitation. While some inspections resulted in violations being issued, particularly regarding mold issues in Apartment 1A and a broken ceiling in the cellar, others saw no violations found.

More recently, the building had a significant violation recorded in January 2023 concerning a defective bulkhead door on the fourth story, which remains open as of the latest information, and a mold violation from October 2018 still listed as open. The property has shown some improvement in recent years, with no reported bedbug infestations in the 2022-2023 period and having passed multiple rodent inspections in 2024 and 2025. However, records indicate a pattern of rodent activity between 2022-2024, with the most recent inspection in March 2025 showing passed results.

The building has also maintained compliance with New York City's bedbug reporting requirements, with the last report showing no infestations. While there were multiple housing maintenance code complaints in 2018, many were closed due to inspectors being unable to gain access, leaving some concerns unresolved. The property's maintenance history suggests ongoing attention is required to address various structural and environmental issues, particularly regarding the long-standing mold concerns and the open violations.