37-18 Bowne Street, Queens, NY 11354

The 15-unit, 4-story New Law tenement building at 37-18 Bowne Street in Flushing, owned by Benjamin Wai, has experienced significant maintenance challenges over the past few years, particularly regarding heating systems and pest control. Most recently, in January 2025, there were multiple emergency heat/hot water complaints, affecting both entire building and individual apartments, though many of these were duplicates of other complaints. In December 2024, the building received several violations requiring attention to flooring, ceiling plaster, and pest control issues.

These violations included problems with defective vinyl flooring, ceiling plaster and paint, and sanitation concerns related to pests, including mice and roaches. The building's history also reveals ongoing rodent activity, with multiple inspections between 2021 and 2025 consistently showing rat presence, though some inspections noted bait application and one inspection in January 2023 passed with no issues. Earlier maintenance issues were documented in apartment 4E, particularly between August and December 2024, where multiple violations were identified and subsequently closed, including problems with mold, water leakage, and various repairs needed for floors, ceilings, and walls.

The building's heating system has proven problematic, with multiple code violations and service requests related to inadequate heat and hot water. While there have been no documented bedbug infestations in recent years (2021-2025), and a complaint about illegal conversion from 2020 was unsubstantiated, the building's chronic infrastructure and pest management issues suggest ongoing maintenance challenges. The most recent inspections as of April 2025 continued to indicate rodent activity in the building's vicinity.