New York City’s housing crisis took center stage Tuesday as Jumaane Williams, joined by tenants and housing advocates, released the 2025 edition of the city’s Worst Landlord Watchlist, a yearly accounting of property owners with the most unresolved housing code violations.
Standing outside an apartment building at 80 Woodruff Avenue in Flatbush, Williams said the list exposes a pattern of neglect that continues to endanger tenants citywide. This year’s watchlist identifies landlords tied to thousands of open violations, ranging from chronic heat and hot-water failures to infestations, mold, broken elevators, and structural hazards.
Two Owners, One Company, Thousands of Violations
At the top of the list are Margaret Brunn and Donald Hastings, both affiliated with A&E Real Estate Holdings. Together, their portfolios span 60 buildings with nearly 9,000 unresolved violations, the highest total ever recorded on the watchlist.
Williams said the concentration of violations under multiple limited liability companies illustrates how large landlords can obscure accountability. He noted that the city recently reached a settlement with A&E requiring repairs across its holdings, underscoring the scale of the problem.
“This is the first time the two worst offenders on the list are tied to the same corporate entity,” Williams said. “It shows how widespread the neglect is, and how difficult it can be to trace responsibility.”
The 10 Worst Landlords of 2025
Ranked by the number of open violations, the city’s most cited landlords are:
- Margaret Brunn — 24 buildings, 4,872 violations
- Donald Hastings — 36 buildings, 3,889 violations
- Barry Singer — 15 buildings, 2,885 violations
- Joseph Cafiero — 19 buildings, 2,871 violations
- Peter Fine — 7 buildings, 2,206 violations
- Robyn Lucas — 14 buildings, 2,101 violations
- Yonatan Bahumi — 34 buildings, 1,801 violations
- Claudette Henry — 25 buildings, 1,738 violations
- Joseph Pistilli — 8 buildings, 1,656 violations
- David Tennenbaum — 14 buildings, 1,549 violations
Williams emphasized that the watchlist is meant to arm tenants with information, helping them organize and push for long-delayed repairs.
Spotlight on Flatbush Conditions
City Council Member Rita Joseph, whose district includes the Woodruff Avenue building, said the property has repeatedly failed city inspections and currently carries more than 300 open violations, including dozens classified as immediately hazardous.
Recent citations include evidence of rodents, cracked walls and floors, leaky radiators, overflowing trash, fire hazards, peeling paint, and mold, conditions residents say have persisted for years.
Tenants reported avoiding shared spaces, such as the basement laundry room, due to rat infestations. Others reported exposed gas and electrical lines, water leaks, and makeshift repairs that never fully addressed underlying problems. One longtime resident said her granddaughter, who suffers from asthma, can no longer visit due to mold and pests.
NYCHA and the Scale of the Crisis
Williams also pointed to the New York City Housing Authority, noting that the agency has more than 600,000 open work orders, far exceeding any private landlord on the list.
“NYCHA would dwarf everyone here,” he said. “But as a public entity, it exists in a category of its own.”
Pushing for Stronger Tenant Protections
Housing advocates used the event to urge passage of the “Clean Hands” legislation, which would prevent landlords from evicting tenants for nonpayment when serious code violations remain unresolved. Supporters say the measure would rebalance power in housing court and give tenants leverage to demand safe living conditions.
Following the announcement, volunteers launched a weeklong canvassing effort in A&E-owned buildings, informing residents about their rights, organizing strategies, and upcoming public hearings.
A Shift at City Hall
Williams said he is optimistic that the administration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani will bring stronger enforcement. On his first day in office, Mamdani reenergized the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, signaling a tougher stance on negligent landlords.
“For the first time, City Hall is actively helping amplify this list and coordinate resources,” Williams said. “That partnership matters.”
Landlord Response
A spokesperson for A&E Real Estate said the company has invested more than $800 million in upgrades across its buildings, citing elevator modernizations, boiler replacements, new windows, and major plumbing work. The firm said it has closed hundreds of thousands of work orders and resolved tens of thousands of violations since acquiring its properties, adding that many buildings were already in poor condition when purchased.
Tenant advocates counter that while investments are welcome, conditions on the ground show that far more must be done, and done quickly.
As the 2025 watchlist circulates, Williams said the message is clear: unsafe housing is not a paperwork issue but a daily reality for thousands of New Yorkers, and accountability cannot wait.
By The Midtown Times Staff
