Tenants, Politicians Denounce Inwood Landlord After 17 Injured In Gas Leak

INWOOD, NY — Tenants of two Inwood buildings — 3852 and 3856 10th Avenue near West 206th Street — were joined by politicians and housing activists to denounce their landlord and building manager, who have let the buildings deteriorate into an unsafe space to live.

The rally was organized after 17 residents of the buildings were brought to the hospital on Saturday, Jan. 7 after a carbon monoxide leak stemming from the building's boiler, according to a statement from City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez.

"It's despicable when a landlord refuses to make vital repairs, allows tenants in their buildings to freeze during the coldest months of the year and remains unresponsive to concerns," Rodriguez said in a statement. "It should be criminal to have residents get sick from a lack of boiler repairs, forcing them to go to the hospital. I remain fully committed to supporting these tenants and we will do everything we can to ensure justice is served."

Newly-elected State Assembly Member Carmen De La Rosa also spoke at the rally and called conditions in the buildings "deplorable."

Tenants of the building blamed the patchwork repairs done by landlord Julian Rodriguez and property manager Kitty Huang for the gas leak, and have enlisted the aid of the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board and the Tenant Rights Coalition to take the fight to the property owners.

In addition to dangerous structural conditions tenants claimed that Rodriguez and Huang have let the buildings become infested with roaches, rats and other vermin. Tenants also argued that the basic services like heat and hot water are often not working in the building.

"I am not only fighting for my individual rights as a tenant, and for my family, but also for the community that we have formed in our tenant association; my neighbors are my community and we are all living with bad conditions," tenant Jessica Quiridumbay said in a statement. "We have to stand together, not only to demand better repairs but to be treated with dignity by management."

An employee of Confe Realty, the LLC that owns the buildings, told Patch Friday that neither Huang nor Julian Rodriguez were available to speak.

Photo courtesy of City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez