729 Knickerbocker Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11221

729 Knickerbocker Avenue is a 4-story, 8-unit residential building in Bushwick, built in 1906 and currently owned by Steve Lichtman. The building has experienced several significant maintenance issues over the past few years, with the most recent being a heat and hot water outage reported in March 2022. A thorough inspection of 2020 revealed multiple violations in apartment 1F, including issues with water leaks, self-closing doors, window security bars, carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, and plastered surfaces, though all these violations were eventually closed.

Between 2019 and 2022, the building had recorded problems with electricity (no lighting) and rodent activity, with multiple inspections showing either rat activity or infestations. While the building is current with its bedbug reporting requirements and has shown no infestation counts since 2024, its rodent situation remains concerning, with the most recent inspection in May 2025 resulting in a "failed for other reasons" finding. The property has undergone various repairs and improvements over the years, with multiple violation notices being certified as closed between 2021 and 2022.

Historical data shows ongoing maintenance efforts, including addressing broken ceramic tiles in the public hall and fire-retardant ceiling issues. The building has maintained compliance with bedbug reporting requirements since 2020, showing no recorded infestations or eradications. Despite these compliance efforts, the persistence of rodent activity, as evidenced by multiple failed inspections between 2022 and 2025, suggests ongoing pest management challenges. The building's maintenance history reveals a pattern of addressing critical issues promptly, though some problems have required multiple interventions to resolve completely.