518 East 13th Street, Manhattan, NY 10009

518 East 13th Street is a 5-story, 10-unit Old Law Tenement building constructed in 1910, currently owned by Dana Lowey. The property has experienced recurring maintenance issues over the past two years, with the most recent concern being an open complaint regarding an electric/gas range since December 2024. During late 2023, there were multiple heat and hot water complaints affecting various parts of the building, including instances where HPD inspectors were unable to gain access for verification.

The building has also contended with pest problems, as evidenced by multiple HPD complaints in August 2024 resulting in violations, particularly affecting Apartment 7.Earlier issues from 2023 included water leak and mold problems, and building-wide appliance maintenance concerns. The property has faced significant challenges regarding safety and code compliance. In 2024, there were violations related to heat supply and access to the heating system. A notable structural concern was documented in 2022-2023 regarding a potentially bulging or cracked retaining wall.

The building underwent multiple illegal conversion investigations between 2019-2020, with several violations issued regarding unauthorized hotel room usage and occupancy issues. These violations included safety concerns such as inadequate egress and fire alarm systems for transient use. While the building has passed recent rodent inspections in 2023-2025 and shows no current bedbug infestations (as per the last five annual reports), the property has accumulated penalties for various violations, including an active ECB violation from October 2023 related to failure to file corrections, with a penalty of $6,250. The owner has been responsive to some violations, as evidenced by multiple closed violations, but recent complaints suggest ongoing maintenance and access-related challenges for addressing resident concerns.