61 Hester Street, Manhattan, NY 10002

61 Hester Street is a 6-story, 20-unit residential building located in Chinatown, owned by Terrence Lowenberg and constructed in 1915 as a New Law Tenement. The building has experienced recurring issues with heating and hot water systems, particularly notable in November 2024 when multiple emergency complaints were filed simultaneously, followed by another emergency heat/hot water complaint in January 2025. More recently, in June 2025, there is an open complaint regarding unsanitary conditions related to pests.

The building has undergone several inspections and received multiple violations over the past years, including a significant incident in 2020 involving building shaking and structural stability concerns, as well as illegal conversion issues detected in 2018. The property faced multiple emergency heat/hot water complaints in late 2024, and significant maintenance issues were documented in 2023, particularly in Apartment 4, including problems with water leaks, pest infestations, and safety equipment such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The building's maintenance history shows a mix of resolved and persistent issues. In 2023, Building 4 had multiple violations that required correction, including problems with water systems, pest control, and safety equipment.

The property has generally passed rodent inspections in 2023-2025, with only two instances of rat activity noted (January and March 2023). The Department of Buildings records show various permit applications and some violations related to property maintenance and safety systems, including issues with water heaters requiring correction. While the building has maintained compliance with several recent inspections, the recurring nature of heating system problems and the recent pest complaint in 2025 suggest ongoing maintenance challenges. The bedbug reporting system shows no infestations in the past two years, indicating effective pest management for this particular issue.