Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated the transfer of three neglected rent-stabilized apartment buildings in Crown Heights, home to 88 units.
The buildings — 1018 Eastern Parkway, 1074 Eastern Parkway and 1392 Sterling Place — had previously been owned by Rubin Dukler, routinely ranked among New York City’s worst landlords, according to a press release from the Office of the Mayor.
The buildings have nearly 1,000 open code violations combined, and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development has been required to make repairs at each property.
“Living here hasn’t been easy,” said Desra Lawrence, tenant leader at 1018 Eastern Parkway. “I’ve dealt with molds, leaks, plumbing problems and pests. I even had to buy my own refrigerator and stove and replace my kitchen cupboards because things weren’t being taken care of. We shouldn’t have had to fight this hard just to have a decent place to live.”
“The tenants of the Dukler Tenant Union have suffered from neglect and disinvestment for years,” said Mamdani. “We will work alongside tenants and the new owner to put these 88 homes on a path towards stability and make clear that every New Yorker deserves a safe, well-maintained and stable place to call home.”
Tenants at the three buildings began organizing in 2018 for repairs and investment support, and formed the Dukler Tenant Union in 2025 to oppose continuing ownership of the Dukler family.
The work is part of the Mamdani administration’s efforts to address the city’s negligent landlords and hold them accountable to benefit New York City residents.
“It’s been a long fight,” said Lawrence. “I’m ready for a fresh start and for us tenants to finally have a real voice in what happens to our homes.”
The HPD and the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants will work with tenants and the new owner to repair and maintain the building going forward.
