127 Orchard Street, Manhattan, NY 10002

The 6-story tenement building at 127 Orchard Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side, constructed in 1920 and currently owned by Robert Raphael, is experiencing significant maintenance challenges as of 2025. Most notably, there is an ongoing cluster of emergency maintenance issues reported in March 2025, including problems with plumbing (bathtub/shower, toilet, basin/sink), unsanitary conditions (mold, sewage, pests), flooring issues, and appliance problems (refrigerator).

The building has a history of rodent activity, with inspections in late 2024 and early 2025 showing passed results, though there were multiple instances of rat activity detected between October 2023 and December 2024. A concerning pattern of building maintenance issues has emerged, as evidenced by multiple open violations regarding unsanitary conditions, plumbing problems, and general disrepair. Looking back over recent years, the building had several open violations documented in 2019, particularly affecting Apartment 11, including issues with floor tiles, wood floors, electrical outlets, plaster surfaces, and evidence of a mice infestation.

These violations, while later marked as closed in 2024, indicate historical maintenance challenges. The Department of Buildings showed one complaint from 2018 regarding illegal activity, though this was deemed without warrant upon inspection. While the building has consistently reported zero bedbug infestations in annual filings from 2021 through 2024, the current concentration of multiple open violations, particularly those affecting fundamental systems like plumbing and sanitation, suggests ongoing upkeep challenges that may impact resident comfort and safety.