186 Hester Street, Manhattan, NY 10013

186 Hester Street is a 5-story, 6-unit old law tenement building located in Little Italy, constructed in 1900 and currently owned by Joseph Cohen. The building has experienced recurring issues with heating systems, particularly during winter months, with multiple complaints between 2023 and 2025 regarding heat and hot water problems affecting both individual apartments and the entire building. Notably, there were four heat/hot water complaints in January 2025 alone, resulting in violations, though some of these complaints were marked as "Unable to Inspect." Residential maintenance issues have persisted, including door and window problems, with an especially notable situation in 2024 involving Apartment 3 where multiple violations were documented, including defective doors and window sashes, though some of these were subsequently closed after inspections.

The building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbugs, with no reported infestations in the past five years, and has consistently passed rodent inspections, most recently in June 2025. The property has active violations as of 2023 related to external low-pressure inspection requirements, and there is an open door frame complaint from December 2024. Compliance with housing maintenance codes has been a concern, with several emergency complaints being closed but indicating persistent issues with heat and door conditions.

The building's history shows a pattern of heating system problems, particularly during cold months, with three to four complaints typically occurring in each heating season. Despite these maintenance challenges, the building has demonstrated good pest control management, maintaining a zero infestation rate across multiple reporting periods. The most recent building inspection records show basic compliance with rodent control regulations, passing all inspections since 2019.