186 1st Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10009

The five-story, 8-unit Old Law Tenement building at 186 First Avenue in the East Village, owned by John McCarthy, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues since 2018. Most notably, there was a heat and hot water emergency complaint in October 2019 affecting the entire building, though inspectors were unable to gain access for verification. The building has faced multiple violations related to external low pressure inspection filings between 2018 and 2023, with the most recent being active as of September 2024.

A concerning pattern of problems emerged in 2018, including complaints regarding construction work without permits, failure to maintain building codes, and the presence of illegal hotel rooms, though inspections did not warrant violations at the time. In 2023, there were two active Environmental Control Board violations related to exit door maintenance and illumination, though both primarily involved the Department of Education rather than the building itself. The property has generally maintained good pest control standards, with six consecutive years (2020-2025) showing no bedbug infestations reported in annual filings.

Recent rodent inspections from 2022 through 2025 have mostly resulted in passing grades, with only one initial inspection in October 2023 resulting in a failed inspection for other reasons. The building has undergone several permitted works over the years, with permits issued regularly between 2019 and 2022 under the same job number sequence. While the property has experienced various violations and complaints over the years, many have been dismissed or resolved, though the failure to file the 2023 external low pressure inspection remains an active concern as of the most recent data available in September 2024.