14 1st Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10009

The 16-unit, 5-story tenement building at 14 1st Avenue in the East Village, owned by Anh Do, has experienced a series of concerning maintenance and compliance issues between 2022 and 2025. Most notably, as of mid-2025, there are ongoing problems with water supply systems, pest infestations, and unsanitary conditions. During 2025 alone, there were multiple complaints regarding plumbing issues, including water supply problems (with at least one categorized as an immediate emergency), and repeated pest complaints resulting in violations.

The building has also faced challenges with unauthorized hotel room usage, with several complaints filed in early 2025, though access for inspections was often not granted. Additional concerns include multiple open violations from a July 2023 inspection, documenting issues such as a leaking roof at the bulkhead, problems with fire retardant materials in the public hall, and concerns about the building's fire escape components. The property has shown a concerning trend of water supply and pest-related issues, with multiple violations issued between March and June 2025. An April 2024 Department of Health inspection noted unsanitary pigeon conditions, and there have been recurring difficulties with building access during inspections.

The building also has several open violations regarding maintenance requirements, including electrical safety issues and failure to properly maintain various building components. Despite these challenges, the building has maintained an active bedbug reporting history showing no infestations between 2019 and 2025. Recent rodent inspections in 2025 showed rat activity, marking the first failure in recent years following a consistent pattern of passing inspections since 2022. While the building has made some attempts to address these issues, including the issuance of various permits for electrical work, plumbing, and other maintenance needs, many violations remain open as of mid-2025, and there have been multiple instances of inspectors not being granted access to perform required inspections.