Complaints filed with New York City's Department of Buildings

Complaints filed with New York City's Department of Buildings in 2025 alleged that a Brooklyn home where a fire killed six people Thursday was undergoing an illegal basement conversion, with construction taking place without permits, according to city records. The complaints alleged that the basement of the two-story multifamily property in Sunset Park was being converted into an apartment and that work had been underway without authorization for approximately a month. City inspectors visited the property several times, including in August, but were unable to gain access, records show.