354 East 78th Street, Manhattan, NY 10075

354 East 78th Street is a 4-story, 10-unit residential building constructed in 1910 and currently owned by Katherine Chou. The property has experienced recurring heating and hot water issues, with multiple complaints filed between 2024-2025, including two emergency complaints in February 2025 and more recently in December 2024. The building has also faced challenges with window maintenance, as evidenced by multiple complaints regarding window frames and heating systems, some resulting in violations. A significant cluster of complaints and violations emerged in 2024-2025, including window-related issues (both in apartments and common areas), mold concerns, and plumbing problems.

Inspection attempts for various complaints have sometimes been unsuccessful due to access issues, particularly regarding heating system inspections in January 2025 and September 2024. The building's history includes serious concerns regarding illegal conversions and occupancy issues between 2018-2021, with multiple Department of Buildings complaints and Environmental Control Board violations related to unauthorized occupancy and use of the cellar space. These complaints were primarily focused on illegal conversions and transient use violations, particularly regarding Unit 1C's cellar modifications. The property has also faced safety-related violations, including problematic vestibule doors and fire escape access issues, though many of these violations have been resolved or dismissed.

Recent rodent activity has been monitored closely, with multiple inspections in 2023-2024 showing both rat activity and bait application, with differing compliance results. The building's maintenance history shows periodic plumbing, electrical, and window-related work requiring permits, with proper permit records available in the Department of Buildings system. More recent records (2022-2025) indicate a focus on basic maintenance issues, particularly regarding heating systems and window maintenance, though recent bedbug and rodent inspection reports show no evidence of infestation between 2022-2024, suggesting some stabilization of pest control issues. The building continues to have some active violations from 2021 regarding failure to comply with certain orders, though specific details about these current violations are limited in the available data. The property has also maintained regular bedbug and rodent inspection schedules, showing efforts to monitor and control these issues, with the most recent bedbug reports showing no cases in the past three reporting periods.