Kensington

Diverse, low-key neighborhood between Flatbush and Borough Park, with a large South Asian community and affordable rents.

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RODENT COMPLAINTS · HIGHHEAT COMPLAINTS · TYPICAL// median building 1930

Kensington 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
High

Rodent complaints ran 17.3 per 1,000 apartments, above the citywide 8.8.

HEAT COMPLAINTS
Typical

Heat and hot water complaints in Kensington ran 152.4 per 1,000 apartments over that year, above the citywide 125.7.

BUILDING AGE
1930

The median Kensington apartment building went up in 1930, 53% of apartments sit in buildings from before 1940 (citywide 45.8%), and 38.6% are in buildings of five floors or fewer (citywide 37.1%).

Most common HPD issues in Kensington

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

HPD issued 40.8 violations per 100 apartments in Kensington over the 12 months to September 2026, above the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 11.5 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 35.1% of buildings recorded none.

FOR RENTERS

Area figures describe 906 buildings holding 11,219 apartments, so check the specific address before you sign: one building's record can sit far from its neighborhood's average.

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

What the Records Show in Kensington

Buildings in Kensington averaged 40.8 HPD violations per 100 apartments over the 12 months to September 2026, above the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 11.5 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 35.1% of buildings recorded none at all.

MeasureKensingtonCitywide
Apartment buildings906172,071
Apartments11,2192,846,490
HPD violations per 100 apartments40.830.1
Class C (immediately hazardous) per 10011.59.2
Buildings with no violations35.1%45.3%
Apartments in pre-1940 buildings53%45.8%
Apartments in buildings of 5 floors or fewer38.6%37.1%
Median year built1930n/a

Figures cover buildings with three or more apartments in Kensington, 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 Kensington

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

02

Pre-Lease & Investigation

Audit a Kensington building before you commit

Building Stock & Character

BUILDING TYPES

Two-family homes, low-rise apartment buildings, some row houses

CHARACTER

Diverse, affordable, South Asian community, residential, unpretentious

// TRANSIT

F (Church, Fort Hamilton Pkwy), D (Fort Hamilton Pkwy)

CHALLENGES

Limited nightlife, far from Manhattan nightlife, some blocks vary significantly

Kensington Renter FAQs

What building problems are most reported in Kensington?
Tenants in Kensington filed about 6,185 housing complaints to 311 in the 12 months to September 2026. Heat and hot water accounted for 50.3% of them, ahead of unsanitary conditions and pests at 14.9%. HPD issued 40.8 violations per 100 apartments in Kensington over the 12 months to September 2026, above the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 11.5 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 35.1% of buildings recorded none.
How common are rodent complaints in Kensington?
Rodent complaints ran 17.3 per 1,000 apartments, above the citywide 8.8. Tenants in Kensington filed about 6,185 housing complaints to 311 in the 12 months to September 2026. Heat and hot water accounted for 50.3% of them, ahead of unsanitary conditions and pests at 14.9%.
What should renters check before signing a lease in Kensington?
Area figures describe 906 buildings holding 11,219 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 Kensington?
The median Kensington apartment building went up in 1930, 53% of apartments sit in buildings from before 1940 (citywide 45.8%), and 38.6% are in buildings of five floors or fewer (citywide 37.1%).
How common are heat complaints in Kensington?
Heat and hot water complaints in Kensington ran 152.4 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.