239 East 2nd Street, Manhattan, NY 10009

The five-story old law tenement at 239 East 2nd Street in the East Village, owned by Dennis Phandler, has experienced several concerning patterns over recent years, particularly regarding pest management and inspections. The building has maintained an open violation record related to bedbug reporting noncompliance from 2022 through 2024, with multiple citations for failing to file the annual bedbug report as required under Housing Maintenance Code.

While an official bedbug report was filed for the 2019-2020 period indicating zero infested units, the repeated violations suggest ongoing reporting issues rather than confirmed infestations. Rodent control has been an ongoing challenge, with the most recent inspections showing a mix of compliance and violations. The building achieved compliance on June 10, 2025, following a prior inspection in May 2025 that noted rat activity.

Between 2022 and 2025, there have been several instances of rat activity recorded during initial inspections, particularly in late 2022 and throughout 2023, though many inspections also resulted in passing grades. Additionally, a Department of Buildings violation was recorded in April 2023 regarding failure to file the 2022 external low-pressure inspection, though this violation was subsequently dismissed in June 2023. The persistent nature of both pest management violations and rodent activity suggests ongoing challenges with building maintenance and compliance in this century-old structure.