Park Slope Renter's Guide: Housing and Transit
Renting a Park Slope brownstone or prewar apartment: city data on the historic district and housing stock, subway lines, and checks for small buildings.
5 min read · Updated
Renting a Park Slope brownstone apartment usually means a floor-through or half-floor unit in a two- to four-family rowhouse. In the Park Slope Historic District, 70% of residential lots have three units or fewer, and 96% of homes are in buildings from before 1940, so expect older systems, stairs instead of elevators, and fewer of the legal protections that apply to larger buildings.
The rest of Park Slope’s rentals are in prewar walk-ups and elevator apartment buildings, plus condos and co-ops that owners rent out. This guide uses city tax-lot data (PLUTO) and Landmarks Preservation Commission records to describe the stock, then lists what to check before you sign.
At a glance
- Park Slope Historic District
- 1973
- Designated July 17, 1973; later extended twice
- Residential lots in the district
- 2,677
- Holding 10,867 homes (PLUTO 26v2)
- Lots with 1–3 units
- 70%
- 1,871 of 2,677 residential lots
- Homes built before 1940, ZIP 11215
- 77.6%
- 36,851 homes on 8,325 lots
The historic district
The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Park Slope Historic District on July 17, 1973. LPC’s Brooklyn map also lists a Park Slope Historic District Extension and an Extension II. In PLUTO, the three areas together cover 2,716 tax lots, of which 2,677 have homes.
| Units on the lot | Lots | Homes | Share of homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (single-family) | 344 | 344 | 3.2% |
| 2 | 1,045 | 2,090 | 19.2% |
| 3 | 482 | 1,446 | 13.3% |
| 4–5 | 325 | 1,391 | 12.8% |
| 6–19 | 438 | 3,829 | 35.2% |
| 20 or more | 43 | 1,767 | 16.3% |
| Total | 2,677 | 10,867 | 100% |
So although most buildings are small, about half of the district’s homes are in buildings with six or more units. That matters, because six units is the line where rent stabilization can start to apply.
Park Slope’s wider housing stock
ZIP 11215 covers Park Slope and parts of neighboring areas. Across it, by share of homes: walk-up apartment buildings 31.6%, one- to three-family houses 30.7%, elevator apartment buildings 16.9% (including elevator co-ops), condominiums about 13.6%, and small mixed-use buildings 6.2%. About one in ten homes is in a building classed as a co-op. By age, 77.6% of homes are in buildings from before 1940 and 13.0% from 2010 on. More than three out of four homes (77.7%) are in buildings of five floors or fewer.
| Brownstone unit (2–5 units) | Building with 6+ units built before 1974 | |
|---|---|---|
| Can be rent stabilized | Rarely | Often, for at least some units |
| Good Cause Eviction | Often exempt (small or owner-occupied) | Covered unless stabilized or another exemption applies |
| Statutory right to sublet (RPL §226-b) | Only if 4+ units | |
| Elevator | Sometimes |
What to check in a Park Slope brownstone rental
- 1
Find out how many legal units the building has
Search the address on Roofy and check DOB’s records. DOB says buildings built before 1938 generally don’t need a certificate of occupancy unless later work changed their use; then HPD registration and DOB filings are the best guide. A "three-family" with five doorbells is a problem. - 2
Be careful with garden and lower-level units
HPD says a cellar (more than half below curb level) in a one- or two-family house can never be lawfully rented, and a basement can be rented only under strict conditions, such as windows in every room. Ask which it is and check the record. - 3
Ask who controls the heat
Ask whether you control your own heat or the owner does, and who pays for it. From October 1 to May 31, NYC requires at least 68°F indoors from 6am to 10pm when it is below 55°F outside, and at least 62°F overnight. Hot water must be at least 120°F all year. - 4
Work out whether Good Cause applies
HPD exempts landlords who own 10 or fewer units in New York State and buildings with 10 or fewer apartments where the owner lives. If your home is exempt, your renewal and rent increase depend mostly on your lease. - 5
Look at stairs, wiring and windows
A top-floor unit in a four-story brownstone is a long walk with groceries. Count outlets, check the electrical panel if you can see it, and open the windows. The apartment viewing checklist covers the rest.
Getting around
| Station | Daytime routes |
|---|---|
| Atlantic Av–Barclays Ctr | 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R |
| Bergen St | 2, 3 |
| Grand Army Plaza | 2, 3 |
| 7 Av (Flatbush Av) | B, Q |
| Union St | R |
| 4 Av–9 St | F, G, R |
| 7 Av (9 St) | F, G |
| 15 St–Prospect Park | F, G |
| Prospect Av | R |
Two stations are called 7 Av: one on the B/Q at Flatbush Avenue and one on the F/G at 9th Street. Prospect Park, about 526 acres, runs along the neighborhood’s eastern edge.
Money and paperwork
- Set a budget with the rent affordability calculator; small landlords often ask for a guarantor if income is short.
- A security deposit is capped at one month’s rent. See New York security deposit rules.
- If a unit might be stabilized, run the rent-stabilized checker.
Look up any address with Roofy’s building lookup or browse rentals.
Re-ran PLUTO 26v2 queries 2026-10-12: historic district + 2 extensions = 2,716 lots, 2,677 with homes, 10,867 units; size table and 96% pre-1940 match. ZIP 11215: 8,325 lots/36,851 units, 77.6% pre-1940, 13.0% 2010+, walk-up 31.6%, 1-3 family 30.7%, co-op 10.2% match; corrected "rental elevator" (16.9% includes D4 co-ops), condo share (13.6%) and the five-floors-or-fewer share (77.7%, not four in five). Designation date 1973-07-17 in LPC dataset. Routes in MTA Subway Stations; Prospect Park 526.25 acres in Parks Properties. Heat figures, HPD Good Cause exemptions, HPD basement/cellar, DOB pre-1938 CO rule and RPL 226-b (4+ units; proprietary lease exclusion in subd. 3) re-read.
Sources
- Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output (PLUTO), version 26v2 · NYC Department of City Planning via NYC Open Data (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Historic Districts · NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission via NYC Open Data (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Brooklyn Historic District Maps · NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (accessed October 12, 2026)
- MTA Subway Stations · Metropolitan Transportation Authority via data.ny.gov (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Parks Properties · NYC Parks via NYC Open Data (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Fact Sheet #1: Rent Stabilization and Rent Control · NYS Homes and Community Renewal (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Rent stabilization FAQ · NYC Rent Guidelines Board (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Good Cause Eviction · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Basement and Cellar Apartments · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Certificate of Occupancy · NYC Department of Buildings (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Heat and Hot Water Information · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Real Property Law §226-b (subletting and assignment) · New York State Senate (accessed October 12, 2026)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm with the agency or a professional before you act.