Jamaica

Major Queens transit hub and commercial center with a large African-American and Caribbean community, improving significantly with new development.

Check a Jamaica Address
RODENT COMPLAINTS · TYPICALHEAT COMPLAINTS · TYPICAL// median building 1955

Jamaica 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
Typical

Rodent complaints ran 8.3 per 1,000 apartments, close to the citywide 8.8.

HEAT COMPLAINTS
Typical

Heat and hot water complaints in Jamaica ran 143.2 per 1,000 apartments over that year, above the citywide 125.7.

BUILDING AGE
1955

The median Jamaica apartment building went up in 1955, 24.5% of apartments sit in buildings from before 1940 (citywide 45.8%), and 18.4% are in buildings of five floors or fewer (citywide 37.1%).

Most common HPD issues in Jamaica

01Heat and hot water
02Unsanitary conditions and pests
03Plumbing
CONTEXT

HPD issued 24.7 violations per 100 apartments in Jamaica over the 12 months to September 2026, below the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 8.2 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 38.1% of buildings recorded none.

FOR RENTERS

Area figures describe 745 buildings holding 18,992 apartments, so check the specific address before you sign: one building's record can sit far from its neighborhood's average.

Check Your Jamaica AddressThese are neighborhood averages. Your specific building might differ. Check it.

What the Records Show in Jamaica

Buildings in Jamaica averaged 24.7 HPD violations per 100 apartments over the 12 months to September 2026, below the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 8.2 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 38.1% of buildings recorded none at all.

MeasureJamaicaCitywide
Apartment buildings745172,071
Apartments18,9922,846,490
HPD violations per 100 apartments24.730.1
Class C (immediately hazardous) per 1008.29.2
Buildings with no violations38.1%45.3%
Apartments in pre-1940 buildings24.5%45.8%
Apartments in buildings of 5 floors or fewer18.4%37.1%
Median year built1955n/a

Figures cover buildings with three or more apartments in Jamaica, 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.

Services in Jamaica

Each service page is tailored to Jamaica’s building stock and common violation patterns.

02

Pre-Lease & Investigation

Audit a Jamaica building before you commit

Building Stock & Character

BUILDING TYPES

Apartment buildings, two-family homes, new mixed-use developments near transit

CHARACTER

Major transit hub, diverse, commercial center, improving amenities, community history

// TRANSIT

E/J/Z (Jamaica), LIRR (Jamaica), AirTrain to JFK, Q buses

CHALLENGES

Some high-crime areas, varying building quality, rapid change

Jamaica Renter FAQs

What building problems are most reported in Jamaica?
Tenants in Jamaica filed about 12,932 housing complaints to 311 in the 12 months to September 2026. Heat and hot water accounted for 39.7% of them, ahead of unsanitary conditions and pests at 17.4%. HPD issued 24.7 violations per 100 apartments in Jamaica over the 12 months to September 2026, below the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 8.2 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 38.1% of buildings recorded none.
How common are rodent complaints in Jamaica?
Rodent complaints ran 8.3 per 1,000 apartments, close to the citywide 8.8. Tenants in Jamaica filed about 12,932 housing complaints to 311 in the 12 months to September 2026. Heat and hot water accounted for 39.7% of them, ahead of unsanitary conditions and pests at 17.4%.
What should renters check before signing a lease in Jamaica?
Area figures describe 745 buildings holding 18,992 apartments, so check the specific address before you sign: one building's record can sit far from its neighborhood's average.
How old are the buildings in Jamaica?
The median Jamaica apartment building went up in 1955, 24.5% of apartments sit in buildings from before 1940 (citywide 45.8%), and 18.4% are in buildings of five floors or fewer (citywide 37.1%).
How common are heat complaints in Jamaica?
Heat and hot water complaints in Jamaica ran 143.2 per 1,000 apartments over that year, above the citywide 125.7. Heat season runs October 1 to May 31, when an owner must keep apartments at 68F by day when it is below 55F outside, and 62F overnight.