26 Harlem Buildings Appear On City's 'Worst Landlord Watchlist'

HARLEM, NY — New Yorkers struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic have also had to contend with mistreatment by their landlords, and an annual report by the city's Public Advocate names dozens of Harlem buildings as some of the worst-run in the city.

The report includes 26 Harlem buildings, which made the list based on the average number of violations they received this year from the city's Housing Preservation and Development Department.

Based on that metric, the worst building in Harlem was 162 West 132nd St., a 12-unit building that had 368 open violations this year.

In an online news conference Tuesday, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said the pandemic had exacerbated already-dire housing conditions.

"When we overlay communities that were hit hardest by COVID, those are the same communities that have some of the worst landlords and folks who are living in some of the worst conditions," Williams said.

The ranking uses HPD data on the two most severe classes of violations, which can include rodent infestations, lead-based paint, failure to provide public doors and lighting or a lack of heat, hot water, electricity or gas.

The New York City Housing Authority — with more than 341,000 open work orders across 326 developments — was given its own designation as worst landlord for the third year in a row.

"We have endured systemic neglect before this health crisis and we are still fending for ourselves when it comes to trying to survive while living in NYCHA," said Saundrea Coleman, a resident of the Isaacs Houses on the Upper East Side, who said she deals with excessive heat, faulty elevators and a rat infestation on the houses' grounds.

Here are all 26 of the Harlem buildings, and the number of violations recorded this year:

1. 162 West 132nd St.: 368
2. 361 West 116th St.: 280
3. 620 West 141st St.: 223
4. 17 St. Nicholas Ave.: 216
5. 560 St. Nicholas Ave.: 215
6. 254 Manhattan Ave.: 192
7. 613 West 140th St.: 177
8. 602 West 141st St.: 154
9. 420 West 150th St.: 146
10. 260 Convent Ave.: 141
11. 572 West 141st St.: 140
12. 269 West 146th St.: 108
13. 460 West 149th St.: 88
14. 505 West 135th St.: 85
15. 271 West 146th St.: 77
16. 561 West 149th St.: 76
17. 1701 Lexington Ave.: 63
18. 510 West 146th St.: 55
19. 359 West 117th St.: 53
20. 7 West 126th St.: 51
21. 171 Morningside Ave.: 47
22. 143 West 111th St.: 42
23. 41 St. Nicholas Terrace: 41
24. 120 West 116th St.: 39
25. 246 West 137th St.: 22
26. 160 Morningside Ave.: 10

See the Public Advocate's full report, including a map of buildings, here.

Anna Quinn contributed to this report.