174 Woodruff Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11226

174 Woodruff Avenue is a 4-story, 13-unit New Law Tenement building located in Flatbush, built in 1910 and currently owned by James Lewis. The property has experienced persistent maintenance issues over recent years, with the most concerning problems revolving around rodent infestations and heating systems. As of mid-2025, there are open violations related to bedbug reporting requirements and ongoing rodent activity, with recent inspections in early 2025 confirming continued rat presence.

The building has a documented history of heat and hot water problems, with multiple complaints in late 2022 regarding loss of these essential services throughout the entire building, though these issues were reportedly resolved during HPD's follow-up inspections. Water-related problems have also been recurring, including leaks and damp spots reported in both 2023 and 2020. The property has been under regular scrutiny by housing authorities, with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene finding violations in 2024 and multiple HPD inspections in 2023-2024 that were unable to gain access to inspect reported conditions.

While some older violations related to garbage/recycling storage from 2018 and plumbing issues from 2020 were resolved, the building continues to struggle with pest control, as evidenced by multiple rodent baiting operations throughout 2024-2025 and recurring inspection results indicating rat activity. The building's owner currently faces two active ECB violations from 2018 related to boiler registration issues, with associated penalties, though these are now several years old. The persistent nature of the rodent problems, requiring multiple baiting interventions and compliance inspections between 2023 and 2025, stands out as a significant ongoing concern for the property.