254 Essex Street
Both historical records and our model suggest a low risk of maintenance failures in the coming year.
This building has 5 recorded HPD violations, at or below the East New York average of 17.7.
Is 254 Essex Street rent-stabilized?
Rent stabilization caps how much your rent can rise and protects your right to renew. Here's how this building scores on the four signals that usually point to it.
Based on public NYC records. Not legal advice — verify with the DHCR (Division of Housing and Community Renewal) at apps.hcr.ny.gov.
254 Essex Street is a 2-story, 4-unit New Law tenement building constructed in 1904 in East New York, currently owned by Maria Melgar. The property has experienced several significant and concerning events in recent years, most notably a fire incident on August 2, 2023, which damaged the building's roof, exterior siding, and caused water damage throughout, though these were unrelated to the fire itself. The incident resulted in multiple active Department of Buildings violations, including structural concerns and the need for repairs to be completed by certain deadlines. A full vacate order was also issued on August 2, 2023, following complaints about building shaking, though subsequent inspections on August 4 found no violations.
The building has an ongoing issue with failure to file required annual bedbug reports, with open violations noted in 2023 and 2024, despite having previously filed reports showing no infestation during the 2020-2021 period. In 2023, two additional complaints were recorded regarding construction work and general maintenance, though these were closed without resulting violations. A troubling pattern emerges from the bedbug reporting requirements, as previous violations in 2021 and 2022 (now closed) indicate consistent non-compliance with Housing Maintenance Code requirements. The property's single rodent inspection in May 2012 passed, though this information is now significantly dated. The combination of recent fire damage, ongoing bedbug reporting violations, and multiple complaints about building conditions suggests potential maintenance and compliance challenges at this property.
How 254 Essex Street's risk score is calculated
We trained a model on 7 years of city inspection data — HPD violation filings, tenant complaints, and owner track records across their entire portfolio. It estimates the probability that HPD inspectors will find serious or dangerous violations at this address in the next 12 months. Lower % = safer.
What the score means for you
Out of 3018 buildings in this neighborhood, 2354 have a higher predicted risk.
violations
(1–9)
(10+)
What's driving this score
These are the three data points that most influenced this building's score — ranked by how much weight the model placed on each one.
Don't stop here — this is just the surface.
The full report adds 30+ data sets, complete violation history, landlord portfolio and court record. Or keep reading free:
What's in the 254 Essex Street report
| Total units | 4 |
|---|---|
| Floors | 2 |
| Year built | 1904 |
| Gross area | 2,500 sq ft |
| Building class | — |
| Tax abatement | None |
Violations & complaints per year — solid line is historical record, dashed line is AI projection.
254 Essex Street's landlord & ownership
The people and companies registered to this building, the other properties they run, and their court record. A landlord's wider portfolio is often the best predictor of how your building will be treated.
Registered contact for this building.
Brooklyn, NY 11208
Other properties owned.
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254 Essex Street event timeline
Violations, complaints, fines, and permits — the most recent records on file, in order.
See all 13 events
Full history back to 2009 — violations, complaints, permits, bedbug filings, and more.
Unlock full timelineFull data for 254 Essex Street apartments
30+ public city datasets for this address — searchable and sortable.
What this is
Housing code violations issued by HPD against property conditions. Non-compliance with NYC's Housing Maintenance Code can result in violations and fines.
| Inspection Date | Class | Category | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Complaints filed with HPD about conditions violating the NYC Housing Maintenance Code or NY State Multiple Dwelling Law.
| Received | Category | Type | Status | Apartment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Service requests logged daily with the city through 311 and tracked to resolution. These are complaints that can be directed to specific city agencies.
| Created Date | Problem | Problem Detail | Agency Name | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
All complaints received by the Department of Buildings, including those from 311 and complaints entered directly by DOB staff.
| Filed | Number | Status | Category | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Civil penalties and violation notices issued by the Department of Buildings for construction and building code violations.
| Issue Date | Category | Type | Description | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Summonses and penalties adjudicated by OATH (Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings) and the Environmental Control Board. DOB enforcement cases that have been heard and decided.
| Issue Date | Violation # | Status | Description | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Executed eviction warrants in NYC from 2017-present. Records of completed residential and commercial evictions processed through housing court.
| Executed Date | Docket # | Apartment | Type | Marshal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Recorded real estate transactions and property sales. Public records of building transfers and changes in ownership.
| Sale Date | Price | Building Class | Neighborhood | Apartment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Property owner reports of bedbug infestation status required by NYC law. Building owners must file annual reports on bedbug treatment and infestation history.
| Filing Date | Infested Units | Eradicated | Re-infested | Period End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene rodent inspection results. Records of inspections for rat and rodent infestation signs.
| Inspection Date | Type | Result |
|---|---|---|
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Unlock full reportWhat this is
Construction and demolition permits issued by the Department of Buildings. Required for legal building, construction, and demolition activities in NYC.
| Filing Date | Type | Work | Floor | Description | Status | Issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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