Three Brooklyn Landlords Make Top 5 of NYC Worst Landlord List

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released his annual Worst Landlord Watchlist on Wednesday, naming and shaming landlords with widespread and repeated violations in their buildings. Three Brooklyn landlords, Barry Singer, Alfred Thompson and Claudette Henry, made the top five. 

The list, based on data from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, highlights issues such as heat and hot water outages, rodent infestations and structural hazards, many of which leave tenants vulnerable during extreme weather, according to a press release.

Topping this year’s list was Barry Singer, whose properties averaged 1,804 open violations over the past year. Singer’s buildings have been the subject of 121 heat and hot water complaints during the most recent heat season. Across all buildings owned by the top 10 landlords, tenants filed 832 complaints for similar issues.

“While the worst landlords in the city raise the rents instead of the temperature, tenants are being left in the cold,” said Williams. “The people on this list are at best dangerously negligent, and at worst, actively choosing to profit off the pain of New Yorkers living in unsafe, deplorable conditions. Last year’s worst landlord has been to jail twice since the list was published, a clear message to owners of what their tenants deserve, and the consequences of their inaction. This list is a way to turn up the heat on bad actors so that we can get real accountability and change.”

Top Five Worst Landlords of 2024

1. Barry Singer – 1,804 average open violations. Singer owns 509 Hinsdale St. 
2. Alfred Thompson – 1,285 average open violations. Thomas owns 1469 Bedford Ave., 151 Conover St., 1515 St. Johns Pl., 575 Grand Ave., 1452 Bedford Ave., 411 St. Marks Ave., 409 St. Marks Ave., 591 Grand Ave., 587 Grand Ave., 413 St. Marks Ave., 579 Grand Ave., 401 St. Marks Ave., 593 Grand Ave., 585 Grand Ave. and 405 St. Marks Ave. 
3. Karen Geer – 1,193 average open violations
4. Melanie Martin – 1,132 average open violations
5. Claudette Henry – 1,130 average open violations. Henry owns 100 Pulaski St., 523 Blake Ave., 1046 Greene Ave., 98 Pulaski St., 60 Patchen Ave., 369 Sheffield Ave., 450 Bradford St., 430 New Jersey Ave., 278 Marion St., 349 Chauncey St., 491 Chauncey St., 2413 Pitkin Ave., 134 Sackman St., 456 Bradford St. and 428 New Jersey Ave.

Williams also criticized the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), calling our the housing authority the worst landlord for its failure to maintain livable conditions. As of Tuesday, over 6,600 NYCHA residents were affected by unplanned heat or hot water outages, and the authority had more than 611,000 open work orders, 35,000 more than the previous year.

He also emphasized the importance of tenant organizing, citing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as inspiration.

"Too often, in the face of this neglect, we are frozen. Whether the heat is out or not, we feel powerless. And I want New Yorkers to know that we do have power," Williams said.

The full list of 100 landlords and buildings is available here.