261 Linwood Street, Brooklyn, NY 11208

261 Linwood Street is a two-story, three-unit residential building located in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, and owned by Dave Narain. The 1901 structure has experienced ongoing maintenance issues in recent years, with the most pressing concerns emerging in early 2024 when HPD inspections revealed multiple open violations, particularly affecting Apartment 1 on the first floor.

These violations include problems with water leaks, inadequate heating, defective lighting fixtures, and issues with plastered surfaces and paint. The building has a documented history of heating and hot water problems, with emergency complaints filed in both 2024 (entire building) and 2023 (apartment-specific), as well as previous incidents including an electric power outage in 2022 and various maintenance issues in 2021 and earlier. Of particular concern is an active violation from March 2023 regarding illegal occupancy in the cellar, which has resulted in a $12,500 penalty related to unauthorized living and sleeping spaces and safety concerns about a boiler installation.

The Department of Buildings has attempted to investigate this illegal conversion on multiple occasions (most recently in 2023) but was unable to gain access for inspection. While the building passed a rodent inspection in 2012, there were documented pest issues in 2019 and 2021 for which HPD was unable to gain access to inspect. Multiple complaints and violations over the years suggest ongoing maintenance challenges, with the most recent violations in 2024 marking a particular concentration of outstanding issues affecting both the interior of Apartment 1 and common areas of the building.