348 East 15th Street, Manhattan, NY 10003

The 6-story, 25-unit building at 348 East 15th Street in Gramercy, built in 1910 and currently owned by Richard Podpirka, has experienced recurring heating and hot water issues between 2022 and 2024, with at least eight documented complaints to HPD about inadequate heat or hot water, including a significant incident in October 2024 affecting the entire building. More recently, in late 2024, there was an unresolved door-related issue that HPD could not inspect. The building has also faced several safety concerns, including two notable violations in late 2023/early 2024 regarding unauthorized electromagnetic locking devices at the building entrance and orange plastic netting blocking fire escape egress.

A serious facade safety situation emerged in late 2023, triggering multiple Department of Buildings violations and an $10,000 ECB penalty for inadequate safety measures, though the public protection was removed without proper approval in October 2024. The building's maintenance record shows a mix of resolved violations, including several related to Apartment 3's water temperature, door issues, and security problems. While the property has had consistent rodent inspection activity, with some results showing rat activity in 2022-2023, most recent inspections in 2024-2025 have passed.

Interestingly, the building has maintained a zero infestation record for bedbugs for several consecutive years from 2019 to present. Recent complaints about building shaking were investigated in December 2023 but found no violations, and a vacant building complaint from October 2023 was similarly resolved without findings. The property is actively managing several DOB violations from 2024, including concerns about swarm conditions and cycle 9C unsafe report filings, indicating ongoing attention to facade and safety maintenance.