199 East 4th Street, Manhattan, NY 10009

199 East 4th Street is a 5-story, 9-unit Old Law Tenement building located in Manhattan's East Village, currently owned by Tara Dexter and constructed in 1900. The building has experienced recurring maintenance issues over the past several years, with the most recent incident being a rat sighting in January 2024 that resulted in health violations requiring follow-up inspections. Between 2019 and 2021, there were multiple reports of unsanitary conditions including mold, water leaks, and pest problems, most of which resulted in HPD inspections where access was not granted.

The building had heating and hot water complaints in January 2020, though inspections were unable to confirm the issues. Notably, there were violations related to fire escape obstructions from air conditioning units in 2019-2021 that affected 4th and 5th story balconies, with a 2021 violation specifically addressing the need to remove these obstructions. The building's maintenance history shows some recurring patterns, particularly regarding moisture-related issues, as evidenced by multiple mold and water leak complaints from 2019 to 2020.

However, recent records indicate improvements, with no bedbug infestations reported in the past three years (2021-2024) and successful rodent inspections in 2025, though there were instances of rat activity noted in early 2024. The property has shown compliance with bedbug reporting requirements since 2021, consistently reporting zero infested units. Multiple housing maintenance violations from 2016-2018 were resolved, including issues with water leaks, floor tiles, and ceiling repairs, suggesting that while maintenance issues have been persistent, there has been some level of remediation attempted by the management. The building's current rodent inspection results in 2025 showing "Passed" status indicates recent improvements in pest management, though historical data shows fluctuating pest control effectiveness.