1661 79th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11214

The 6-unit, 3-story residential building at 1661 79th Street in Bensonhurst, owned by John Varelakis, was constructed in 1931 as a New Law tenement. The building has experienced several maintenance and safety issues in recent years, with the most concerning being multiple open violations as of April 2024.

These include problems with self-closing doors (both at the bulkhead and in apartments), missing carbon monoxide detectors in apartments 4 and 5, and the presence of mold in apartment 4's bathroom. There are also violations related to broken plaster surfaces and paint defects in apartments 4 and 5. The property has a documented history of various system failures and maintenance issues, including heating system problems in 2020 (both building-wide and apartment-specific), multiple pest-related complaints (most recently in 2022), and window frame issues.

Between January and April 2024, ten separate Housing Maintenance Code complaints were filed, including emergency issues with doors, stairs, and roof access, as well as non-emergency concerns about garbage storage, lighting, and signage. The building's recent inspection history shows a pattern of unresolved maintenance issues, particularly affecting safety systems and basic infrastructure. While there was one bedbug report filed for the period between November 2019 and October 2020, indicating no infestation during that period, the building's overall maintenance record suggests ongoing challenges with building systems and safety compliance.