107 Hester Street, Manhattan, NY 10002

The 6-story, 17-unit tenement building at 107 Hester Street in Chinatown, owned by Yuzhen Huang, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues since 2021, with the most pressing concerns arising in early 2021. During that year, the building faced multiple interconnected problems, including plumbing issues (toilets and water supply), unsanitary conditions (mold and pests), and interior maintenance concerns (paint/plaster on walls and ceilings). Notably, violations were documented in March 2021 related to an individual unit (Apartment 6) including defective floor repairs, problematic self-closing doors, wall and ceiling painting requirements, mold issues, and plumbing repairs needed for the bathroom.

Since 2021, the building has shown some improvement in general maintenance and pest control. Recent bedbug reports from 2022-2024 show no current infestations, though there was one case reported in the 2021-2022 period. The property has maintained regular rodent inspections in 2023-2025, with the most recent inspections showing compliance, though there were multiple bait applications in mid-2023 following reports of rat activity.

The building underwent significant inspection activity in 2021, resulting in several violations related to emergency safety concerns including fire escape access and floor conditions. While many of these violations have been marked as closed, some remain open as of the latest available data, including concerns about fire escape encumbrances and a requirement for proper maintenance of emergency equipment. Recent building records (2025) indicate improved overall conditions, with no major violations or emergency complaints on file for over two years, though two open violations from 2021 regarding building safety requirements remain outstanding.