2017 Church Avenue

Brooklyn, NY

BBL 3-05081-0039BIN 3116556

Concern level4 of 4

Severe

01On HPD's Alternative Enforcement Program — the city's most-distressed-buildings list
0246 open class-C HPD violations (immediately hazardous) across 38 apartments
0342 of those issued in the last 3 years
0416 open rent-impairing violation(s)
0539 active DOB violation(s)
062 evictions executed in the last 3 years
0711 DOB fines lost by default (unpaid)

How this is set: open hazardous violations measured against the building's size, then raised by strong distress signals — HPD's enforcement program, court harassment findings, recent evictions, unpaid DOB fines, open housing-court cases, and a sold tax lien. Neighborhood noise and crime are not part of it. It describes the public record, not the condition of any one apartment, and a quiet record is not proof of a good building.

HPD enforcement

On the Alternative Enforcement Program

HPD placed this building in its Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP Round 15), active since 2022-01-31. AEP is the city's response to its most distressed buildings — it had 2,962 open B/C violations at selection.

Rent regulation

Likely rent-stabilized

The owner registered 36 stabilized units with New York State for 2022 — of about 38 apartments.

2018 — 36 units registered2022 — 36

No public data says which specific apartment is stabilized.

Registration counts apply to the building, not to unit numbers. To confirm your own apartment, request your rent history from New York State Homes and Community Renewal — it is free and takes a few weeks.

How to request your rent history →

Rent regulation

The building

1931

Built

Floors

Residential units

Walk-up apartments

Type

The building

This building and the landlord's others

This building2 others linked to the same owner

HPD housing-maintenance violations

113

Open now

2342

On record

Open Class C

Open Class B

Open Class A

Class C is immediately hazardous, Class B is hazardous, Class A is non-hazardous. A violation stays open until HPD certifies the repair, so some open items may already be fixed.

CLASS I · NON-HAZARDOUS

§27-2153 ADM CODE THE PREMISES HAS BEEN SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ALTERNATIVE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM WHICH MAY RESULT IN BUILDING-WIDE INSPECTIONS, FEES, AND EXTENSIVE REPAIR WORK TO CORRECT VIOLATIONS AND UNDERLYING CONDITIONS. CHARGES FOR REPAIR WORK DONE PURSUANT TO THIS ORDER, IF NOT PAID, WILL BECOME LIENS ON THE PROPERTY

Status: HPD couldn't get in to re-inspect

CLASS C · IMMEDIATELY HAZARDOUSApt 2IIssued 2026-10-15

HMC ADM CODE: § 27-2017.4 ABATE THE INFESTATION CONSISTING OF ROACHES IN THE ENTIRE APARTMENT LOCATED AT APT 2I, 2nd STORY, 3rd APARTMENT FROM NORTH AT EAST

Status: Notice issued, not yet certified

CLASS C · IMMEDIATELY HAZARDOUSApt 2IIssued 2026-09-24

§ 27-2026, 2027 HMC: PROPERLY REPAIR THE SOURCE AND ABATE THE EVIDENCE OF A WATER LEAK AT CEILING IN THE 5th ROOM FROM EAST LOCATED AT APT 2I, 2nd STORY, 3rd APARTMENT FROM NORTH AT EAST , SECTION AT SOUTH

Status: Notice issued, not yet certified

CLASS C · IMMEDIATELY HAZARDOUSApt 2IIssued 2026-09-24

§ 27-2005 ADM CODE REPAIR THE BROKEN OR DEFECTIVE PLASTERED SURFACES AND PAINT IN A UNIFORM COLOR AT CEILING IN THE 2nd ROOM FROM EAST LOCATED AT APT 2I, 2nd STORY, 3rd APARTMENT FROM NORTH AT EAST , SECTION AT SOUTH

Status: Notice issued, not yet certified

HPD housing-maintenance violations

311 complaints from tenants

1279

All time

152

Last 12 months

Heat/Hot Water342

Plumbing195

Door/Window134

Flooring/Stairs107

Water Leak98

Unsanitary Condition94

Paint/Plaster84

General79

Complaints record what a tenant reported, not a finding by the city. "Closed" often means the inspector could not gain access.

311 complaints from tenants

Neighborhood noise

Much higher than averagevs. NYC apartment blocks

2038

Noise reports · last 12 mo

170

≈ per month

% from neighbors

Residential1460

Street/Sidewalk392

Unspecified75

Vehicle69

Commercial42

311 noise complaints within about 1,000 ft (a few blocks) in the last year. Most reports here are about noise from inside buildings — neighbors, not the street. This counts how often people call 311, which tracks how densely populated and busy an area is as much as how loud it is — it is not a sound measurement.

Neighborhood noise

Neighborhood crime

Much higher than averagevs. NYC apartment blocks

662

NYPD reports · last 12 mo

≈ per month

Felony194

Misdemeanor351

Violation117

NYPD complaints reported within about 1,000 ft (a few blocks) in the last year, by severity. This reflects what gets reported and where police are active as much as actual safety, and busier, denser, higher-foot-traffic blocks log more. Locations are approximate — the NYPD shifts each report to the nearest corner for privacy — so read this as rough context, not a safety score.

Neighborhood crime

Bedbug history

No bedbugs reported

The owner filed 3 annual bedbug reports and reported no infested units. Filing with zero infestations is the compliant, reassuring case.

Bedbug history

DOB building violations

Active

On record

Active, last 3 yrs

ACTIVE · LBLVIO-LOW PRESSURE BOILER BOILER REQUIRED2025-11-14

VIOLATION ISSUED-FAILURE TO FILE 2024 EXTERNAL LOW PRESSURE INSPECTION

ACTIVE · C-CONSTRUCTION OTHER OPTIONAL2025-03-19

REQUESTING AN ENGINEER REPORT DUE TO BATHROOM FLOOR BEING DAMAGED AND ABLE TO SEE CELLAR LEVEL FROM APT1A BATHROOM. WOOD JOISTS AT CELLAR LEVEL ARE ROTTED & DETERIORATED. FROM CELLAR LEVEL I'M ABLE TO SEE APT1A BATHTUB AND CELLAR HAS EXCESSIVE WATER DAMAGE. AN ENGINEERING REPORT IS REQUIRED TO ASSESS THE STABILITY OF PROPERTY.

ACTIVE · C-CONSTRUCTION OTHER OPTIONAL2025-02-05

AT TIME OF INSPECTION OBSERVED AT APARTMENT 1D AT 1ST FLOOR FRONT RIGHT SIDE BEDROOM FLOOR HAVE REMOVED ,UNPROTECTED, FLOOR JOIST EXPOSED AND ROTTED

DOB building violations

Evictions

Executed, all time

Last 3 years

2026-07-07Apt 1Cresidential

2025-12-08Apt STOREFRONTS 2023B-20commercial

Executed by a city marshal. An eviction can be lawful; a high or rising count is a displacement signal, not proof of wrongdoing.

Evictions

Housing court

Cases on record

Open now

Tenant-brought

Harassment found

With a judgment

Most cases are tenants taking the owner to court to force repairs. A case is not proof of wrongdoing; a harassment finding or judgment is a court ruling against the owner.

CLOSEDOpened 2026-07-23

Tenant action

CLOSEDOpened 2026-07-23

Harassment case

CLOSEDOpened 2025-05-22

Harassment case

CLOSEDOpened 2025-05-20

Tenant action

Housing court

Landlord and related buildings

Registered owner

156 E 21 LLC

Head officer

Adel Alahwas

Managing agent

Adel Alahwas

2 other buildings share this owner's registration contacts. Shared contacts suggest common control, but they are not proof of ownership.

6702 13 AVENUEBROOKLYN 785 BURKE AVENUEBRONX

Landlord and related buildings

Unpaid city fines

$95,850

Balance due (active)

Active violations

Lost by default

DOB violations adjudicated by OATH carry money penalties. "Lost by default" means the owner never appeared at the hearing. An unpaid balance is a stronger "ignoring the city" signal than a raw violation count.

ConstructionClass 12026-09-24$2,500 due

DEFAULTConstructionClass 22026-03-17$6,250 due

DEFAULTConstructionClass 12026-03-17$12,500 due

DEFAULTConstructionClass 12026-02-10$12,500 due

Unpaid city fines

Ownership & money

Recorded sales

Mortgages / refinances

Last recorded sale2023-10-23 · $7,229,250

Most recent mortgage2023-10-23 · $3,200,000

Mortgage2023-10-23$3,200,000

borrower 3442 12 STREET REALTY LLC, 156 E 21 LLC · lender COLUMBIA CAPITAL II INC.

Sale2023-10-23$7,229,250

STEPHEN SPINELLI, ESQ., AS REFEREE → 785 BRUKE AVE REALTY, LLC

Sale2023-10-23no recorded price

785 BRUKE AVE REALTY LLC → 156 E 21 LLC

Mortgage2017-02-16$2,200,000

borrower BJ ORGANIZATION OF NEW YORK INC · lender SEL CAPITAL LLC

Mortgage2003-05-02$150,000

borrower BJ ORGANIZATION OF NEW YORK INC. · lender 2017 CHURCH FUNDING ASSOCIATES

From ACRIS recorded documents. Amounts are often $0 or nominal for transfers between related parties, and LLCs can obscure who is really involved — treat this as public-record context, not a valuation.

Ownership & money

City debt & tax-lien sale

Flagged for the 2025 tax-lien sale

The owner owes enough in water and sewer charges to be listed for the city's tax-lien sale (most recently a 90-day notice). A listing can still be cured by paying or entering a payment plan.

Years listed

2025

Most recent

90-day noticewater/sewer only2025-02-01

From DOF lien-sale lists (2019–2025). Financial distress is not proof of neglect, but owners behind on what they owe the city more often let repairs slide. Debt may since have been paid.

City debt & tax-lien sale