These 2 UES Buildings Are 'Putting Tenants At Risk,' City Says

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Two Upper East Side buildings with dozens of open violations have been barred from getting new work permits under a new city law designed to protect against tenant abuse.

A new map from the city's Department of Buildings shows every building whose permits have been restricted by Local Law 104, which the City Council passed in 2019.

The law was intended to penalize landlords who deliberately allow their buildings to deteriorate in an effort to drive out tenants.

The map, which is updated daily, shows two buildings on the Upper East Side: 1626 Second Ave. and 23 East 81st St., which have 61 hazardous violations combined.

The Second Avenue building, which is near East 84th Street and has eight apartments, has 31 hazardous violations on file with city agencies. They include broken tiles, leaky faucets, moldy bathrooms and a roach infestation.

The building's owner, listed as the firm Teams Management, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A few blocks west is the 81st Street building, which is just off Madison Avenue and also has eight apartments.

That building, a condominium, has 30 hazardous violations, including broken smoke detectors, defective light switches, inadequate sprinkler systems and broken radiators.

The building's property manager told Patch that individual condo owners are responsible for the open violations, adding that they "are in the process of being cleared up by the responsible parties."

Under the law, smaller buildings are penalized if they have three or more violations for every unit. To get off the list, landlords must fix the dangerous conditions and resolve the violations.

"When bad landlords demonstrate their unwillingness to provide this basic necessity, the city must hold them accountable on every front," City Councilmember Margaret Chin said in a news release.

"Oversight requires transparency, and I am hopeful that this open data gives the public an additional tool when choosing where to rent or in present negotiations with property owners."

Click around the new map from DOB here.