Collapsed ceilings, leaking pipes, and a parade of roaches and rats are not exactly what tenants at a four-story Linden Boulevard building say they signed up for. Residents report living with persistent damage and infestations, claiming they have spent thousands of dollars on stopgap repairs while many have stopped paying rent since the building’s longtime landlord died nearly two years ago. People have been handing out packets from a company called Pink Holding New York around the property, but tenants say calls to the listed office number go nowhere.
According to News 12, reporters who toured roughly half a dozen apartments on Friday documented dozens of code problems, and the outlet noted that HPD’s public site showed an unusually high number of violations at the address. The station also quoted HPD as saying it had placed the property in the agency’s Alternative Enforcement Program and could use its Emergency Repair Program to address hazardous conditions if the owner does not act.
Tenants' accounts
Residents describe nights of scratching and scrambling inside their walls and apartments, with sleep hard to come by. “They’re jumping on my feet!” tenant Lore Dana Ross told News 12, referring to the rodents she says have taken over. Another tenant, Sharon Lee, said she and neighbors have been buying sheetrock and paying out of pocket for people to patch ongoing leaks that never seem to get fully resolved. Several tenants say they began withholding rent after the landlord’s death because they did not know who was actually in charge of the building or where payments should go.
Who owns the building?
Property reports list the address as a 16-unit, four-story building, and show a mid-2025 sale for roughly $874,901, indicating that ownership has recently shifted. Public property listings and title summaries reviewed on PropertyShark and a PincusCo property profile indicate that a Pink Holding entity appears on title records, while business-filing summaries show a Pink Holding New York company registered in state records. Tenants say people who have come through the building distributing packets carried paperwork with that Pink Holding name.
What HPD can do
HPD’s Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP) and Emergency Repair Program (ERP) give the city tools to force urgent repairs when owners fail to act. Through these programs, the agency can authorize work, bring in prequalified contractors, then seek reimbursement from the owner or place liens on the property. HPD’s procurement and program guidance explains how AEP and ERP are used to address hazardous conditions and protect tenants. Local tenant advocates say these programs are often the most direct way to get life-safety repairs started when management is unresponsive or ownership is murky.
Where things stand now
City tracking tools and community reports show a long history of inspections and complaints at the building, although the totals differ depending on whether a platform counts cumulative or only open violations. Community monitoring reports and building-tracking pages list dozens of past code actions at the lot, while the local station’s review of HPD’s public entries produced the higher violation tally cited in its coverage. For now, tenants say they are continuing to withhold rent until they receive a verified contact for payment and see a concrete, visible plan for repairs.
Legal implications
Withholding rent can carry real legal risk, and tenants considering it are advised to document conditions thoroughly, keep detailed records of 311 and HPD complaints, and seek legal guidance before stopping payments. HPD’s complaint page outlines how to file housing complaints and request inspections, and tenant groups and legal services organizations can help residents figure out their next move. Free or low-cost assistance is available through city and nonprofit hotlines and legal centers that focus on eviction defense and tenant counseling.
For now, residents say they will keep pressing city agencies and working with local tenant advocates as they wait to see whether the listed owner responds, answers basic questions, and starts the long list of needed repairs.
