422 Irving Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237

The three-story, three-unit tenement building at 422 Irving Avenue in Bushwick, built in 1909 and owned by Lewis Phillips Jr, has experienced persistent pest-related issues in recent years. Most notably, from late 2024 through early 2025, there were multiple complaints about unsanitary conditions related to pests, with six separate incidents recorded between November 2024 and January 2025.

HPD inspectors attempted to access the premises to investigate these complaints but were unable to gain entry, leading to the closure of these cases due to lack of access, rather than resolution of the reported issues. The building's rodent inspection history indicates a concerning pattern, with four inspections between 2018 and 2025 showing rat activity, including recent findings in April and May 2025, following two previous passing inspections in 2024 and 2022. Historical records from 2020 reveal a series of maintenance issues in Apartment 2, including electrical problems (outlets/switches, no lighting, and power outage), mold concerns, and wall maintenance needs.

The property has also faced challenges with fire escape maintenance, as evidenced by a violation in 2021 regarding a defective drop ladder on the west exterior wall stack. While the building's recent bedbug reporting shows no infestations during the 2022-2023 period, with zero infested or re-infested units reported as of April 2024, the persistent pest and rodent issues remain a notable ongoing concern for the property. The building's age and classification as a "New Law Tenement" suggest it was built before 1901, but was subject to New York City's mandatory housing maintenance regulations established in the 1970s, which require specific standards for maintenance and reporting of housing conditions.