231 East 5th Street, Manhattan, NY 10003

231 East 5th Street is a 5-story, 8-unit Old Law Tenement building located in the East Village and built in 1877, currently owned by Evan Desiderio. The building has experienced recurring heat and hot water issues, with multiple emergency complaints filed between December 2021 and December 2022, though most were resolved after inspections found systems operational or improvements had been made.

In 2022-2023, there were also concerns about air quality due to construction dust, and reports of water leaks affecting the 5th floor bathroom. Of significant note, the building was subject to Department of Buildings (DOB) investigations in late 2021 and 2022 regarding unauthorized commercial use of a first-floor space as an unlicensed adult establishment ("Lily Foot Spa"), with several active violations and penalties associated with this use, though some related violations have since been resolved.

The building has maintained a good record of rodent control, passing all inspections from 2020 through 2025, and no bedbug infestations have been reported in the past seven years. Recent inspections in 2023-2024 identified some building maintenance issues, including problems with self-closing doors and stair treads, though these violations were subsequently closed. The building's infrastructure and systems have generally passed regular inspections, with recent improvements noted in rodent control and interior maintenance, though the history of heat and hot water complaints suggests some ongoing system maintenance challenges.