151-21 79th Street, Queens, NY 11414

151-21 79th Street in Howard Beach is a 3-story, 6-unit residential building constructed in 1978 and currently owned by Cindy Swimmer. The building has experienced several significant maintenance issues in recent years, with the most pressing concerns emerging in early 2024 when multiple emergency complaints were filed in March, including problems with smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, various plumbing fixtures (toilets, sinks, and bathtubs/showers), door issues, and pest infestations.

Despite the urgency of these complaints, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) was unable to gain access for inspections, leaving these issues unresolved and requiring new complaints to be filed if they persisted. The most recent inspection on July 5, 2024, revealed several violations in Apartment 1B, including problems with carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, door functionality, and pest infestations, though some violations were certified as corrected by May 2025. There are also open violations regarding building-wide issues, including the need for proper notice posting and maintenance requirements.

Of particular note is a Class C violation regarding rodent evidence in Apartment 1B, though the building passed a rodent inspection in July 2016. The building has maintained a consistent record of bedbug-free status from 2019 through 2025, with no reported infestations in the past five filing periods. While the property has shown some responsiveness to certain violations by May 2025, several open violations remain, particularly those related to building-wide safety and maintenance requirements.