178 East 88th Street, Manhattan, NY 10128

The 4-story, 10-unit residential building at 178 East 88th Street on the Upper East Side, owned by Marlene Ludner and constructed in 1910, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues in recent years. Most concerning is the current active violation related to insufficient boiler inspection reporting, with penalties totaling $3,125, and an open complaint about the building being vacant, open, and unguarded as of May 2025. The building has a documented history of rodent infestations, with multiple inspections showing rat activity between 2020 and 2025, though recent inspections in 2025 and late 2024 passed compliance checks.

There have been three separate rat sighting complaints recorded between 2019 and 2020. The building's maintenance history shows three instances in 2019, 2022, and most recently in 2024 where inspectors were unable to gain access to the building to investigate complaints about construction work and building stability concerns. The property has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations, with six consecutive annual reports from 2019-2024 showing zero infested units, though there are violations noted for failing to file bedbug reports in 2021.

The building's garbage/recycling storage areas have been a recurring issue, with the most recent complaint in August 2023 being closed due to inspectors' inability to gain access. Violation notices regarding boiler inspection reporting requirements have been issued in 2019, 2023, and most recently in 2024, all of which remain active. While efforts have been made to address rat activity through bait applications and inspections, the frequency of rodent-related issues suggests this remains a persistent challenge.