405 West 21st Street, Manhattan, NY 10011

The 12-unit, 4-story building at 405 West 21st Street in Chelsea, owned by Michael Pligavko, has a significant history of maintenance and safety issues since 2020, with the most recent developments indicating some improvement. The property, which dates back to 1853, experienced a concerning series of rodent-related incidents between 2019 and 2024, though it most recently passed a rodent inspection in October 2024.

In 2020, there were documented complaints of water leaks and ceiling issues, while the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recorded rodent sightings in August 2020, resulting in identified violations that required follow-up inspections. The building faced several Housing Maintenance Code violations in 2020, including failure to file annual bedbug reports and inadequate posting of various safety notices in common areas, though these issues were eventually certified as corrected by November 2020. More recently, in October 2021, there was a significant boiler-related violation regarding an inoperative system during the heating season, which remains as an active Environmental Control Board violation with a $312 penalty.

The building's bedbug reporting records from 2021 through 2024 show consistent compliance, with no reported infestations during these periods. In terms of maintenance response, the building has participated in regular rodent control measures, including baiting inspections, though there were multiple instances of rat activity documented in 2020 and 2021. The property has demonstrated some improvement in recent years, with fewer complaints and violations, but the ongoing boiler violation and previous rodent issues suggest continued monitoring of building conditions is warranted.