Brooklyn
NYC's most populous borough with diverse neighborhoods from brownstone Brooklyn to beachfront.
Brooklyn Building Violation Profile
Measured from HPD violations and 311 complaints filed in the 12 months to September 2026, matched to this area's buildings. Use it to set expectations before you sign or hire.
Rodent complaints ran 3.3 per 1,000 apartments, below the citywide 8.8.
Heat and hot water complaints in Brooklyn ran 30.1 per 1,000 apartments over that year, below the citywide 125.7.
The median Brooklyn apartment building went up in 1927, 51.9% of apartments sit in buildings from before 1940 (citywide 45.8%), and 51% are in buildings of five floors or fewer (citywide 37.1%).
Most common HPD issues in Brooklyn
HPD issued 35 violations per 100 apartments in Brooklyn over the 12 months to September 2026, above the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 9.7 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 42.7% of buildings recorded none.
Area figures describe 78,609 buildings holding 834,201 apartments, so check the specific address before you sign: one building's record can sit far from its neighborhood's average.
What the Records Show in Brooklyn
Buildings in Brooklyn averaged 35 HPD violations per 100 apartments over the 12 months to September 2026, above the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 9.7 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 42.7% of buildings recorded none at all.
| Measure | Brooklyn | Citywide |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment buildings | 78,609 | 172,071 |
| Apartments | 834,201 | 2,846,490 |
| HPD violations per 100 apartments | 35 | 30.1 |
| Class C (immediately hazardous) per 100 | 9.7 | 9.2 |
| Buildings with no violations | 42.7% | 45.3% |
| Apartments in pre-1940 buildings | 51.9% | 45.8% |
| Apartments in buildings of 5 floors or fewer | 51% | 37.1% |
| Median year built | 1927 | n/a |
Figures cover buildings with three or more apartments in Greenpoint, Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant (West), Bedford-Stuyvesant (East), Bushwick (West), Bushwick (East), Cypress Hills, East New York (North), East New York-New Lots, Spring Creek-Starrett City, East New York-City Line, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace-South Slope, Sunset Park (West), Sunset Park (Central), Prospect Heights, Crown Heights (North), Crown Heights (South), Prospect Lefferts Gardens-Wingate, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend (West), Sunset Park (East)-Borough Park (West), Borough Park, Kensington, Mapleton-Midwood (West), Gravesend (South), Coney Island-Sea Gate, Brighton Beach, Flatbush, Flatbush (West)-Ditmas Park-Parkville, Midwood, Gravesend (East)-Homecrest, Madison, Sheepshead Bay-Manhattan Beach-Gerritsen Beach, Ocean Hill, Brownsville, East Flatbush-Erasmus, East Flatbush-Farragut, East Flatbush-Rugby, East Flatbush-Remsen Village, Flatlands, Marine Park-Mill Basin-Bergen Beach, Canarsie, using HPD violations inspected in the 12 months to September 2026 and city lot records. Citywide figures use the same method. Search a specific address for that building’s own record.
Building Grades in Brooklyn
78,791 apartment buildings in Brooklyn were scored on October 8, 2026. 16.1% graded D or F, below the citywide 19.8%, and 69.8% graded A against 65.8% citywide. The average score was 84.1 out of 100.
Lowest-Scoring Buildings in Brooklyn
| # | Building | Grade | Score | Open Class C | Open Class B | Open HPD cases | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1321 St Johns Place11213 · 6 apartments · built 1906 | F | 0 | 125 | 226 | 1 | AEP |
| 2 | 1055 Bergen Street11216 · 16 apartments · built 1905 | F | 0 | 254 | 809 | 2 | none |
| 3 | 2026 Nostrand Avenue11210 · 11 apartments · built 1931 | F | 0 | 260 | 237 | 1 | AEP31 heat complaints |
| 4 | 553 Howard Avenue11233 · 12 apartments · built 1910 | F | 0 | 252 | 341 | 3 | AEPVacate order21 heat complaints |
| 5 | 145 Rockaway Parkway11212 · 6 apartments · built 1930 | F | 0 | 103 | 245 | 0 | AEP |
| 6 | 133 Mac Donough Street11216 · 8 apartments · built 1903 | F | 0 | 113 | 400 | 3 | AEP17 heat complaints |
| 7 | 992 Jefferson Avenue11221 · 9 apartments · built 1920 | F | 0 | 166 | 233 | 1 | none |
| 8 | 568 Maple Street11203 · 6 apartments · built 1931 | F | 0 | 98 | 191 | 1 | AEP |
| 9 | 1416 Dekalb Avenue11237 · 6 apartments · built 1931 | F | 0 | 103 | 141 | 2 | AEPVacate order |
| 10 | 150 East 55 Street11203 · 6 apartments · built 1930 | F | 0 | 114 | 98 | 2 | 17 heat complaints |
Rent-Stabilized Apartments in Brooklyn
14,993 buildings here were billed the rent-stabilization fee for 289,400 apartments on the 2024 property tax bill. Among buildings billed in both years, the count fell 1.9% from 2018 to 2024. Check whether a specific building is on the list with the rent-stabilization checker.
| Building | Stabilized units 2018 | Stabilized units 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 184 Kent Avenue11249 | 219 | 3 | -216 |
| 461 Dean Street11217 | 363 | 183 | -180 |
| 267 Rogers Avenue11225 | 165 | 33 | -132 |
| 39 Waverly Avenue11205 | 123 | 26 | -97 |
| 555 Waverly Avenue11238 | 190 | 97 | -93 |
Scores use the formula on the methodology page, applied to every lot with three or more apartments; the table ranks buildings with six or more. Stabilized unit counts are building totals from the DOF tax bill, compiled by nycdb, and say nothing about any individual apartment. See the most distressed buildings in the borough.
Services in Brooklyn
Each service page is tailored to Brooklyn’s building stock and common violation patterns.
Violation-Linked Repairs
For when Brooklyn buildings already have open violations
Pre-Lease & Investigation
Audit a Brooklyn building before you commit
Move-In Essentials
For after you’ve checked the building
Building Stock & Character
Brownstones, row houses, pre-war apartments, new developments, converted lofts
Creative, diverse, neighborhood-focused with strong local identities
Well-connected to Manhattan via multiple subway lines; varies by neighborhood
Gentrification changing neighborhood character, varying transit access