75 Monroe Street, Manhattan, NY 10002

75 Monroe Street is a 5-story, 24-unit old law tenement building located in the Two Bridges neighborhood, owned by Luis Ruiz and built in 1900. The building has experienced recurring issues with heat and hot water systems, particularly in 2022 when multiple complaints were filed regarding lack of service affecting either individual apartments or the entire building. There were also two significant water leak incidents reported in 2020 and 2022, with the most recent involving heavy flow conditions.

A notable safety concern emerged with a violation issued in October 2022 regarding roof leaks affecting the public hallway on the 5th story, and another in January 2022 concerning fire escape egress obstruction due to flower pots on the 3rd-story balcony. The building has faced serious regulatory challenges in recent years, particularly regarding occupancy violations. Multiple Department of Buildings (DOB) complaints in 2025 indicate ongoing illegal occupancy issues, with active ECB violations for failure to obey a vacate order and removal of a posted vacate order.

These violations were related to an unauthorized re-occupation of 3rd floor unit 3A despite an active vacate order from 2019. Historical records show a pattern of occupancy-related violations, with the building having been cited for illegal apartment conversions and unauthorized transient use of basement spaces between 2019 and 2025, including issues with missing sprinkler systems and fire alarm requirements during the 2019 inspections. Additionally, the building has faced multiple violations related to external inspection filings between 2020 and 2025, suggesting ongoing maintenance and compliance challenges. While there have been no reported bedbug infestations in recent years (2020-2024), there was one recorded instance of rat activity in 2020, though subsequent inspections showed passing results until a new instance of rat activity was noted in 2025, indicating potential ongoing pest management concerns.