156 East Broadway, Manhattan, NY 10002

The four-story, three-unit tenement building at 156 East Broadway in Chinatown, owned by Santting Cheng and built in 1910, has experienced several notable issues in recent years. Most concerning are ongoing reports of smoking or vaping in smoke-free areas, with three confirmed complaints between March and April 2025, all of which were closed by the Department of Health. The building has also faced multiple service requests for heat and hot water issues in September 2022, and plumbing problems have been reported through various channels in 2021 and 2022.

A series of pest-related complaints was recorded in October 2022, though these were addressed and closed by HPD. Recent inspections and compliance checks reveal some structural concerns, including a 2022 violation for a defective self-closing door in apartment 4F, and encumbrances in public hall areas noted in 2022 and 2024. While the building has passed all rodent inspections since June 2024, and no bedbug infestations have been reported in the past three years (with the most recent filings showing zero affected units), there were some deficiencies noted in 2022 regarding required safety notices and door mechanisms. Two complaints regarding work without permits were recorded in 2023 and 2024, both referred to the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The building's most recent rodent inspection in June 2025 showed compliance, though there were failed inspections for other reasons in 2023. The property has maintained relatively good compliance with bedbug reporting requirements, consistently showing zero infested units since early 2022. However, the pattern of heating, plumbing, and more recently, smoking-related complaints suggests ongoing maintenance challenges. The presence of multiple housing code violations in 2022, while subsequently addressed, indicates historical compliance issues that should be monitored for recurrence.