239 East 7th Street, Manhattan, NY 10009

The five-story, three-unit building at 239 East 7th Street in the East Village, owned by David Gelbard and constructed in 2005, has experienced several concerning maintenance issues in recent years. Most notably, in early 2025, multiple complaints were filed with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), including reports of mold, paint/plaster problems (affecting windows, frames, and ceilings), water leaks, intercom issues, and a potentially dangerous carbon monoxide detector situation.

Each of these complaints received emergency status and was closed in March 2025, though HPD was reportedly unable to complete inspections in response to the complaints, suggesting ongoing concerns. The building has also faced structural and safety issues, including an open violation from April 2024 regarding the failure to file an annual bedbug report, and a 2024 complaint about inadequate sprinkler systems where inspectors could not gain access to complete their assessment. Rodent inspections between 2022 and 2025 show a mixed record, with the most recent compliance inspection in June 2025 passing, though several previous inspections noted rat activity.

The building's bedbug reporting history appears relatively stable, with the most recent report in May 2023 indicating no infested or re-infested units during the 2021-2022 filing period. There was one complaint of illegal after-hours work in 2022, which was found to warrant no violation at the time of inspection. Given the building's relatively new construction date (2005), the frequency and variety of maintenance issues reported, particularly in 2025, may indicate emerging systemic problems that warrant monitoring.