196 Elizabeth Street, Manhattan, NY 10012

196 Elizabeth Street is a 6-story, 20-unit New Law tenement building constructed in 1900, currently owned by Marla Siegel. The building has experienced recurring issues with mold, as evidenced by multiple 311 complaints and Housing Maintenance Code Complaints, with recent incidents reported in November 2023 and January 2023. The property has also faced several maintenance challenges, including a cabinet issue (September 2023), heavy water flow problems (September 2022), and electrical lighting concerns (September 2022).

Notably, a thorough inspection in November 2023 identified several significant safety violations in apartment 17, including missing carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, and defective self-closing doors, as well as issues with a broken sink cabinet and wood floor in the kitchen. The building's fire escape safety has been called into question, with violations issued in November 2023 regarding air conditioning units protruding more than the allowable 4 inches from window sills on multiple floors. The property has documented rodent activity in recent years, with failed inspections in January 2025, February 2023, and March 2023 showing evidence of rat activity, though a passed inspection in April 2022 and permits issued in 2019-2021 suggest some improvements have been attempted.

The building's maintenance history also shows compliance with bedbug reporting requirements, with no infestations reported in the past seven filing periods. A significant violation related to failure to file a 2020 external low-pressure inspection was issued in June 2023 but was dismissed in July 2025. The property has undergone various repairs and maintenance work, as indicated by multiple permits issued between 2019 and 2021, focusing on exterior and related systems.