309 West 43rd Street, Manhattan, NY 10036

309 West 43rd Street is a 5-story, 20-unit old law tenement building built in 1920 and currently owned by Mitchel Maidman. The building has experienced recurring issues with water supply and heating systems, most recently evidenced by multiple complaints in 2025 (January and February) regarding lack of heat/hot water and water supply problems throughout the building. These recent complaints are particularly concerning as they represent emergency situations under the Housing Maintenance Code. The building has a documented history of plumbing-related issues, with complaints about water supply problems in 2019, 2024, and a toilet emergency in 2019.

Other significant concerns include a set of Class C violations noted in December 2024 specifically for apartment 3A, including inadequate heat supply, hot water issues, and problems with self-closing doors. The property has faced various maintenance challenges over the years, including a 2020 complaint about mold in apartment 4D, multiple window frame violations in 2019, and issues with an air conditioner on the fire escape in 2019. While the building's rodent inspection history shows consistent passing results between 2011 and 2024, there was a period of rat activity noted in 2010. The building has undergone regular bedbug reporting from 2019 to 2023, with no documented infestations or instances of re-infestation during this period.

Recent inspections, including a rodent inspection in October 2024, show generally compliant conditions, though there remain several open violations from December 2024 related to heating and hot water systems. The building's history includes several complaints about unauthorized short-term rentals, with investigations in 2018 and 2019, though no violations were warranted at the time of inspection. Multiple attempts to gain access for inspections in response to complaints have resulted in inspectors being unable to complete their evaluations, most recently in 2025 regarding heating and plumbing issues, suggesting potential access-related communication challenges between tenants and management. While the building's inspection history shows generally passing results for rodent issues and consistent bedbug reporting compliance, the recent pattern of heating and plumbing complaints represents the most pressing ongoing maintenance concerns.