28 East 72nd Street, Manhattan, NY 10021

28 East 72nd Street is a 5-story, 5-unit residential building located in Manhattan's Upper East Side, built in 1897 and currently owned by Alberto Smeke. The property has experienced recurring issues with heating and hot water systems, particularly during the winter months of 2018-2020, with multiple HPD complaints recorded for entire building outages, some of which resulted in violations.

More recently, in late 2023/early 2024, there was a slow water leak complaint, which was inspected by HPD but resulted in no violations being issued. Current open violations from a June 2024 inspection include issues with the 5th story public hall ceiling, requiring both repairs to address leakage and repainting with light-colored paint.

The building has undergone some significant structural modifications over the years, with historical records showing unauthorized conversion work on the 2nd floor that allegedly transformed two Class A apartments into a gym with workout equipment and a spiral staircase, resulting in active Department of Buildings violations from 2018 with potential penalties. However, the property has maintained solid pest control records, with zero reported bedbug infestations in the past five years (as per annual reports from 2019-2023) and passed all rodent inspections between 2010-2019. The building's maintenance history shows a period of heightened activity in 2018-2020, primarily related to heating system issues, while more recent years have seen fewer complaints, though current violations suggest ongoing maintenance needs.