Tenants at 3821 18th Ave. in Kensington gathered outside their building Monday night, alleging mice, dead rodents, overflowing garbage and a deteriorated laundry room. One resident, Micheline Durandisse, said mice have been a constant presence in her apartment and that she fears they could bite her.
Durandisse told organizers she has repeatedly informed the landlord about the mice problem but has not received a response to her reports and requests for help, according to ABC7 New York. Rodents have reportedly been seen moving through her apartment, a condition she says has persisted without any fix from management. Tenants and supporters at Monday's rally chanted, “Izsak get off it! The tenants over profit!” — a reference to landlord Robert Izsak.
Garbage, Dead Rodents and a Broken Laundry Room
Beyond Durandisse's unit, organizers said residents across the building have faced dead rodents and droppings, overflowing garbage, and a laundry room that has fallen into disrepair. Tenant organizer Shabir said conditions were severe enough that a health inspector was reluctant to enter the building, reportedly saying, “this is too dangerous. This is a health hazard condition. I'm not going in!” A speaker at the rally said organizers intend to keep working with neighbors until tenants are treated with dignity.
Robert Izsak, who organizers identify as the building's landlord, is ranked No. 23 on New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams's Top 100 Worst Landlords Watchlist, per the same report. Organizers also alleged that Izsak has refused to meet with the tenant union and that the building carries hundreds of open Housing Preservation and Development violations.
City Says Building Is Under Increased Oversight
Charlie Dulik of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants said the building has been placed in New York City's Alternative Enforcement Program, which city housing officials describe as targeting apartment buildings with extensive maintenance violations through frequent inspections and, when needed, formal Orders to Correct, according to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Dulik said the program brings increased fines and violations along with a coordinator assigned to the building to meet directly with tenants.
Citywide, the Alternative Enforcement Program has targeted buildings with steep numbers of unresolved problems; a prior round covering 250 buildings across the five boroughs affected nearly 6,830 homes and logged tens of thousands of open housing-code violations, including thousands classified as immediately hazardous, per a city announcement. Organizers at the Kensington rally said they hope that city enforcement, combined with the violations they say the building has accumulated, will finally push Izsak toward real repairs.
Building management was contacted for comment on the allegations but had not responded as of the rally, the station's report noted. For now, Durandisse says she has received no response from the landlord.
