244 Elizabeth Street, Manhattan, NY 10012

244 Elizabeth Street is a 5-story, 19-unit old law tenement building located in Nolita, built in 1900 and currently owned by Michael Padernacht. The building has experienced several safety and maintenance issues over the past few years, with the most significant concerns being related to fire safety and exit access. In 2023, violations were documented regarding obstructed fire escape egress due to flower pots on the southwest fire escape at the building front's fifth story, though this was certified as corrected by September 2023.

Previous violations included defective self-closing doors in the boiler room and an improperly modified door leading to the cellar on the first story, both of which were corrected by April 2023. Additionally, apartment 2B was cited in 2021 for defective smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The building's recent service history shows consistent attention to maintenance issues, with multiple 311 complaints being investigated and resolved between 2022 and 2023, including reports of unsanitary conditions regarding garbage/recycling storage and door/window issues.

A recent electrical wiring complaint from November 2023 resulted in an inspector's attempt to gain access to the unit, though they were unable to do so. On a positive note, the building has maintained an impeccable record regarding bedbugs, with no reported infestations over the past seven years between 2019 and 2025, and has consistently passed rodent inspections during the same period, with the most recent inspections in January 2025 showing no issues. The building's maintenance record shows a pattern of addressing violations and complaints, though the repeated nature of some safety-related issues, particularly regarding fire escape access and door security, suggests ongoing challenges with building systems and maintenance.