This Bed-Stuy Building Has Record-Breaking Heat Problems: Study

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN -- One Bed-Stuy apartment building has racked up a record-breaking number of hazardous heating violations, making it one of the top three offenders in New York City, real estate analysts found.

The three-unit building at 381 Vernon Ave. earned 18 violations for repeatedly failing to keep apartments warm enough over a four-year period, according to a report from New York-based real estate data site Localize.city.

Three buildings were called out in the Localize report for a high number of hazardous heat violations. A 19-apartment building at 509 West 134th St. in West Harlem earned 20 heating violations and a Mott Haven building at 506 Brook Ave. also earned 18 violations

The city doles out these violations during heat season — Oct. 1 through May 31 — when landlord are required to keep apartments at 68 degrees during days when the temperature falls below 55 degrees and at 62 degrees at night.

Poor heat is not the building's only problem, city records show. The three-story apartment building has racked up almost 400 violations for unsafe wiring, illegal locks and broken floors, Housing Preservation and Development violations records show.

Building owners were also made to pay a $1,000 fine in November after Department of Buildings inspectors found cracks in the exterior walls by the roof. A $6,250 fine issued for a leaning chimney in April has yet to be paid, records show.

The Vernon Avenue building rests near the border of Bushwick, which Localize analysts found has the highest rate of heating violations per homes in New York City, and across the street from the site of a five-alarm fire that erupted Thursday.

Find out how your neighborhood fares during the winter here:

Localize.city analysts found that apartment buildings with less units were more likely to have hazardous heating violations. Nearly half of 150 buildings with the highest heat violations rates had only three units and more than a quarter had four units.

"Seeing the widespread heat problems in buildings with only three or four units raises questions about how to hold landlords of these smaller buildings accountable," researchers wrote. "Does HPD prioritize these buildings less in terms of inspections or are there challenges that are particularly difficult to address in this type of housing stock?"

Analysts encouraged New Yorkers dealing with heat problems, as well as those looking for new apartments, to research buildings violation history before reporting problems to 311 or moving in.

“Knowing about chronic heat and hot water problems can empower you if you’re trying to hold your landlord accountable," said Localize.city President Steve Kalifowitz. "Or can help you avoid moving to a frigid building in the first place.”

Patch was not immediately unable to reach owners, whom city records name as Norberto Alvarado and Betty Lugo, for comment.

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