425 East 65th Street, Manhattan, NY 10065

The 6-story, 30-unit apartment building at 425 East 65th Street, owned by Benjamin Lema and constructed in 1910, has experienced several significant maintenance and health-related issues over the past few years. Most notably, there appears to be an ongoing rodent and pest problem, with multiple complaints filed between 2022 and 2024. While some of these complaints resulted in inspections showing no violations or were closed due to lack of access, the building has undergone regular rodent monitoring throughout 2023, with inspection results showing periodic bait applications and evidence of rat activity in initial inspections.

The building also had a water leak complaint in September 2024 that could not be inspected by HPD, and three housing maintenance code violations were issued in early 2024 regarding safety concerns, including issues with self-closing doors and an illegal lock on the roof bulkhead door, though these were subsequently certified as corrected. The property has maintained a consistent record of being bedbug-free, with no infestations reported in the official Bedbug Reporting system over the past several years. A recent investigation regarding illegal hotel rooms in the building (filed in October 2024) was resolved without finding any violations in January 2025.

The building's maintenance history suggests persistent challenges with access during inspections, as evidenced by multiple instances where HPD and DOHMH were unable to complete inspections despite receiving complaints. Regular pest control measures have been implemented throughout 2023, indicating ongoing efforts to address the rodent situation, though the presence of rat activity in multiple inspections suggests this remains an unresolved issue. The most recent complaints and violations, while significant, have been addressed promptly through certification of corrections, as demonstrated by the violations related to roof safety in early 2024.