349 East 61st Street, Manhattan, NY 10065

The 20-unit, 5-story residential building at 349 East 61st Street in Manhattan's Upper East Side, built in 1910, is currently owned by Joseph Taormina and has experienced several notable maintenance issues over the past decade. The most recent heating-related complaint was filed in January 2024, with similar heat/hot water issues reported in the entire building in May 2022 and December 2019. These heating system problems appear to be recurring, with all three incidents requiring emergency interventions by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), though heat and hot water were reportedly restored promptly in each case.

The building has undergone two significant intercom system-related violations in 2019, one classified as Class B and another as Class C, affecting the intercom system from the vestibule to the foyer, with repairs subsequently certified. More concerning is the building's history of water-related issues, particularly in Apartment 1D in January 2018, which experienced both inadequate heat and hot water supply problems, along with water leak concerns affecting the kitchen ceiling. The building's elevator system also faced scrutiny in 2018 with a violation regarding a tampered door zone restrictor, though this was promptly addressed.

Despite these maintenance challenges, the building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations, with zero cases reported in the past seven years. Recent Department of Buildings inspections in 2023 for illegal conversions and illegal hotel rooms returned no violations. Additionally, rodent inspections conducted regularly from 2011 through 2023, most recently in November 2023, have consistently passed, indicating effective pest management in the building.