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New York City officials are publicly calling out landlords they say falsely claimed more than 7,500 repairs across the five boroughs this year. Tenants at one Prospect Lefferts Gardens building on that list say the problems inside their homes are only getting worse.
At 80 Clarkson Ave., one of 13 Brooklyn buildings cited as a top offender, residents say conditions have deteriorated since a fire tore through the property four years ago. Despite that, they say the city’s housing database repeatedly marks their complaints as “closed.”
“They say, ‘Congratulations, your leak has been fixed.’ This is the fix they say is done,” said tenant Marva Latimore, pointing to water still dripping down her wall.
Another resident, Rhonda Leshley, held up paperwork showing her Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) violation marked closed even though the step leading to her apartment remains unstable.
“They’re telling me the step to my apartment is fixed,” she said, pressing down on it as it cracked and popped up. “Doesn’t sound fixed.”
Other tenants described mold that was painted over rather than removed. One woman, who asked not to be identified, said the mold returned within a week.
“Mold has to be treated,” she said. “They’re not really doing the jobs they’re supposed to. They do not want to pay to do the right things.”
Residents also pointed to missing appliances that were listed as repaired, holes in cabinets and exposed wiring inside units still recovering from the fire.
Tenants say they’re relieved the city has finally flagged the building — but they want to know what consequences landlords will face.
“They are violating left and right,” Leshley said. “Now we have this list. Who’s doing something about it?”
According to HPD, buildings placed on the list face mandatory re‑inspections and escalated penalties. News 12 has asked the agency how many false repairs were identified at 80 Clarkson Ave. and how many fines have been issued.
The agency has not yet responded.
The building’s management company also did not respond to requests for comment.