338 East 5th Street, Manhattan, NY 10003

338 East 5th Street is a 5-story, 20-unit New Law Tenement building located in Manhattan's East Village, owned by Tzvi Wertenteil and constructed in 1900. The building has experienced recurring issues with heat and hot water, most recently reported throughout the entire building in December 2022, though the city was informed that service had been restored.

Health and safety concerns have been documented, including a 2019 mold complaint that could not be inspected due to lack of access. The building has recent violations related to emergency safety concerns, including a 2022 citation regarding household items obstructing egress from fire escapes on the 5th-story balcony, and an old 2013 violation for a defective smoke detector in apartment 9. The property has maintained a bedbug-free record for the past five years, with the most recent inspection in December 2024 showing no infested units.

However, there are significant current concerns regarding rodent activity, with multiple bait applications recorded between January 2025 and May 2025, and failed compliance inspections in both December 2024 and May 2025 citing rat activity. While the building appears to have regularly addressed pest control issues through bait applications, the persistent rodent activity, as evidenced by multiple failed inspections, suggests an ongoing vermin control challenge. The property has had several instances requiring emergency responses from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, including heat and hot water issues affecting both individual apartments and the entire building, though many past complaints have been closed, in some cases with instructions to refile if problems persisted.