Crown Heights Renters More Likely To Face Icy Homes, Study Finds

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN -- Crown Heights rents are more likely to be found shivering in their homes this winter, real estate analysts found.

Crown Heights is listed among 10 neighborhoods where landlords have racked up heat violations at the highest rate, according to a new Localize.city report.

The neighborhood came in third for high rates of heat violations with Bushwick leading and Van Nest in The Bronx running second, researchers found. All of the top ten neighborhoods were either in Brooklyn or the The Bronx.

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 the day when the temperature falls below 55 degrees and at 62 degrees at night.

A three-unit Bed-Stuy building at 381 Vernon Ave. earned the most violations in four years of any Brooklyn building and a 19-apartment building at 509 West 134th St. in West Harlem earned the most in the city with 20 heating violations.

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.”

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