218 Schaefer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207

218 Schaefer Street is a 3-story, 6-unit residential building located in Bushwick, built in 1910 and classified as a New Law Tenement. The property has experienced recurring rodent issues, with multiple rat sightings and confirmed rat activity recorded by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) throughout 2024 and 2025, most recently in June 2025, suggesting an ongoing pest control challenge. The building has also faced persistent sanitation concerns, particularly regarding garbage and recycling storage, with multiple complaints filed between 2023 and 2025.

While the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) conducted inspections in response to these complaints, access to some units was not granted, leading to closed cases without definitive resolution. Earlier maintenance issues from 2023 included a slow water leak and ceiling plaster problems, though inspections revealed no violations. The building's heating system experienced two emergency complaints about heat/hot water issues in 2022, which were resolved within two days.

The property owner completed a required bedbug reporting cycle in 2021, which showed no infestation cases, and subsequent reports from 2022 through 2024 continued to show zero infested units, indicating successful management of this particular issue. Rat control efforts have been documented through multiple bait applications and inspections, particularly in 2024, though inspections in 2025 continue to show rat activity. The building is currently managed by Mayer Brach, and while some maintenance issues have been addressed promptly, the recurring nature of both the rodent and sanitation complaints suggests these remain ongoing challenges for residents.