307 East 37th Street, Manhattan, NY 10016

The 33-unit, 4-story New Law Tenement at 307 East 37th Street in Murray Hill, built in 1910 and currently owned by Mark Scharfman, has experienced numerous maintenance and safety issues in recent months. Most notably, there are multiple open and recently resolved complaints regarding heat and hot water issues affecting both individual apartments and the entire building, with two separate complaints about heating problems registered in April 2025 as emergencies. The building has also faced persistent sanitation challenges, including recent unsanitary conditions related to garbage storage (complaint still open as of May 2025) and multiple reports of pest infestations, with the most recent complaints occurring in April 2025.

The property has a concerning history of water-related issues, with multiple complaints about leaks and damp spots in April 2025, and a plumbing issue affecting the basin/sink that remains unresolved as of April 2025. Between April and May 2025 alone, there were at least nine different complaints filed with HPD, covering various issues including malfunctioning intercom systems, missing signage, and persistent pest problems that inspectors were unable to verify during their visits. The building's maintenance record from 2024 shows multiple class C violations related to building safety features, including problems with self-closing doors in the meter room and public hall, while December 2023 records indicate equipment issues with the building's boiler system.

Recent rodent inspections have shown mixed results, with multiple inspections in 2025 (February through July) revealing consistent rat activity and the need for bait applications. While the building's bedbug reporting history shows relatively low infestation rates in recent years, with no reported cases in the most recent two filing periods (2023-2024), the frequency of other maintenance issues suggests ongoing challenges with building upkeep. Notably, there appear to be communication challenges between tenants and inspectors, as documented in several complaint resolutions where inspectors were unable to gain access to complete their evaluations.