137 East 29th Street, Manhattan, NY 10016

The six-story New Law Tenement building at 137 East 29th Street in Kips Bay, owned by Mark Scharfman, has experienced recurring maintenance issues since its construction in 1920. The most pressing recent concerns emerged in October 2024, with multiple complaints regarding flooring/stairs, plumbing issues (including toilet problems), and a sewer issue. These complaints resulted in violations, particularly affecting apartment 1D, which has ongoing violations as of October 2024 related to mold, bathroom tiles, caulking, and door hardware.

The building has a documented history of heat and hot water problems, with complaints filed in 2019, 2021, and 2022, though these issues were reportedly resolved promptly. Prior to the recent violations, the building had experienced mold issues in 2022 and an emergency sanitary condition complaint in June 2024. The property has undergone rodent inspections with mixed results between 2017-2018, showing some periods of infestation followed by successful baiting and compliance inspections.

Importantly, the building's bedbug report data from 2021 through 2024 shows zero reported infestations during these periods. Recent building inspections (April 2025) have passed rodent inspections, indicating improved conditions in this regard. Historical records also show that various maintenance issues have been addressed over time, including bathroom repairs in apartment 2D in 2015, though some violations have taken longer to resolve, such as a self-closing door issue in apartment 1D listed as having an open violation as of October 2024. Two Department of Buildings complaints regarding building shaking (2024) and boiler issues (2020) were investigated but no violations were found.