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NYC’s worst landlords no longer a secret

The days when your Twitter followers are the only people who hear you bitch about your negligent landlord may be over. Craigslist — which, let’s be honest, despite creepsters and secret bed bugs, is how anyone finds anything in this city — today unveiled its partnership with the Public Advocate’s office to keep a watchlist on NYC’s Worst Landlords. The list shows the landlord’s name, address and number of infractions, along with a place to file your own complaint. A link to it now appears on top of the apartments section of CL. So who are the worst landlords in BK?

According to this database, all the worst landlords in the borough are clustered around Bed-Stuy, Bushwick and East Williamsburg. If your landlord’s name appears on this list, it may be time to start shopping around: Here are the Brooklyn landlords with the top five most infractions on the entire list:

1. Chris Grijalva
995 Eastern Parkway
Infractions: 363

2. Leslie Westreich
420 Clinton Ave
Infractions: 308

3. Zandani, Abdullah, Qadar
890 Rockaway Avenue
Infractions: 282

4. Roy Bison
872 Macon Street
Infractions: 265

5. Brian Hodge
827 Halsey Street
Infractions: 261

You can see what kind of infractions the landlords were hit with too. Violations fall into four categories:

  • Class A: Non-hazardous violations, such as minor leaks or lack of signs designating floor numbers.
  • Class B: Hazardous violations, such as requiring public doors to be self-closing, adequate lighting in public areas, lack of posted Certificate of Occupancy, or removal of vermin.
  • Class C: Immediately hazardous violations, such as inadequate fire exits, rodents, lead-based paint, lack of heat, hot water, electricity, or gas.
  • Class I: Violations for which there is an order from a judge to correct a violation.

Anyone recognize any names?

6 Comments

  1. Native Son

    I live at 420 Clinton Avenue. My residence is not a slum residence but a fairly well maintained pre-war apartment building in Clinton Hill. Mr. Westreich bought the building 3 years ago after it had been mis managed for 25 years by the previous landlord. Even then, the build would have hardly qualified as one of the top worse buildings in Brooklyn. Why are there 308 violations? There is a duo in the building who, for their own selfish purposes, see fit to call HPD and the Buildings Department, everytime the landlord makes a repair or renovates an apartment. Many of the so-called 308 violations are repeats and have already been taken care of. Unfortunately, this is a blatant misuse of the system by people who care not for the health and safety of the building, but who have their own agenda in mind.

  2. AMY JUVILER #4B

    Two tenants in 420 Clinton Avenue building complain about the improvements being made, harrass the workers and employees. the majority of tenants support the Landlord’s efforts to improve the building after a quarter of a century of neglect by the previous Landlord.

  3. Brooklyn Resident

    I would like to point out that the list above is totally inaccurate for severall reasons. Firstly, the Public Advocates official website http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/landlord-watchlist/buildings?keyword=&borough%5B%5D=Brooklyn&infraction= is not maintained regulary. the site was last updated on April 13, 2011 almost a month ago. if you look at the site now, the tope 5 worst landlords have changed. Secondly, this list is sorted by total violations (A, B and C Violations) when in reality the critea to be added to the Watchlist is: landlord with a building with fewer than 35 units with an average of at least three open, serious violations (B and C violations) per unit or Larger buildings must have an average of at least two open, serious violations (B and C violations) per unit. by way of example, as of today, 420 Clinton has 155 violations (A, B and C) with 111 being B and C’s (2.2 per unit)…78 of which, relate to two units in the entire building!!! Now I ask you, does this seem like a bad building or a building with two problem tenants who would rather live with uncorrected violations than having the landord fix them?

  4. Nice girl needs home

    I would like to point out that the comments posted that blame the tenants are probably by landlords. I am SO grateful you posted this and that CL is doing something. As a result of creeps, psychos and criminals I’ve rented from on CL I am our money and have been homeless since last December. These people have caused untold trouble and grief. I cannot wait to file my complaints! There are some bad people getting away with crimes that I promise you even the police can shrug their shoulders at.

    • Native Son

      I assure you that I am not a landlord and neither is Amy Juviler. I am presently a tenant at 420 Clinton Avenue and Amy is a former one.

  5. Molly

    Currently live at 420, was worried to move this when I saw it, but it’s from 3 years ago and proven completely inaccurate. Love this building! Home :)

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