72 Forsyth Street, Manhattan, NY 10002

72 Forsyth Street is a 5-story, 18-unit old law tenement building located in Chinatown, dating back to 1900 and currently owned by Harley Friedman. The building has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over recent years. Most notably, there are ongoing concerns with water supply issues and electrical work, with violations recorded in 2024 for unpermitted electrical work, plumbing work, and unauthorized construction activity.

The building has also faced repeated rodent problems, with multiple inspections in 2024 and 2025 showing rat activity, though some baiting efforts were reportedly implemented. The property has a history of various maintenance violations that indicate underlying maintenance challenges. In 2018, violations were documented in multiple areas including paint/plaster issues affecting ceilings, walls, floors, and various safety concerns such as defective smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in Apartment 3, all of which were eventually certified as corrected in December 2018.

More recent complaints include ventilation issues (2024), plumbing problems (2024), and an ongoing rat sighting complaint from 2022. Additionally, there are several Department of Buildings violations related to construction work, including a 2018 case of unlawful work in Apartment 8 during an active stop work order that resulted in significant fines. The building's recent history includes multiple environmental control board violations from 2024 related to electrical, plumbing, and construction work without proper permits, though the building's bedbug reports from 2020 to 2024 show no recorded infestations. The property has had regular inspections and maintenance activities, including electrical and plumbing permits issued between 2018 and 2021, but the recurring nature of certain issues, particularly rodent activity and unpermitted work, suggests ongoing challenges with building maintenance and compliance.