543 East 21st Street, Brooklyn, NY 11226

The 6-story, 59-unit building at 543 East 21st Street in Flatbush, owned by Carl Zekaria, has experienced several recurring maintenance issues and violations since 2023, with the most recent cluster of problems emerging in 2025. In June 2025, multiple emergency complaints were filed and subsequently inspected by HPD, resulting in violations for water leaks (heavy flow), lighting issues, and mold problems. The building has also faced ongoing rodent infestation challenges, with multiple bait applications recorded between February and July 2025, and an open rodent violation from February 2025.

A single bedbug infestation was reported in 2024, though the affected unit was listed as eradicated. The building has an established history of maintenance issues, particularly concerning individual apartment conditions. In late 2024, multiple violations were documented in apartment A6, including problems with plaster surfaces, ceiling repairs, and pest infestations (mice and roaches), though many of these violations were certified as corrected by late 2024.

The elevator system has been a recurring focus of complaints, particularly in 2018 and 2019, with violations issued for inadequate maintenance and failure to meet inspection requirements. More recent issues include a current open violation issued in September 2024 for failure to file the 2023 external low-pressure inspection, and a December 2024 violation regarding the fire escape's paint condition. The building's maintenance record shows a pattern of emergency and non-emergency violations, with authorities conducting regular inspections and applying bait for rodent control throughout 2025.