518 East 88th Street, Manhattan, NY 10128

This 20-unit, 5-story Old Law Tenement building, located at 518 East 88th Street in the Upper East Side, has experienced persistent heating system issues in recent months, with multiple emergency complaints recorded between February and April 2025 regarding lack of heat and hot water, including three building-wide complaints in April 2025. The building, owned by John McCarthy and constructed in 1910, has demonstrated ongoing maintenance challenges, as evidenced by five active violations related to the failure to file required external low-pressure inspection reports between 2018-2023.

Recent inspections in 2024 revealed several issues, including a B-class violation regarding household items obstructing fire escape egress from a second-story balcony, and multiple repair needs in Apartment 3B, including water leak repairs and plaster surface issues. The building has a documented history of pest management challenges, with violations reported in 2019 (mice infestation in Apartment 4D), and unsanitary conditions involving pests reported in 2024.

While the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducted a rat sighting investigation in March 2025 that resulted in a "Passed" inspection, previous rodent inspections between 2018-2020 had varied results, with the majority passing. The building's heating system appears to be a recurring issue, with a similar pattern of complaints observed throughout 2023-2025, including multiple instances where inspectors were unable to gain access to verify the reported conditions. On a positive note, the building's bedbug reports from 2021 through 2024 show zero incidents of infestation during the reporting periods, and the property successfully passed rodent inspections in 2025, 2020, and 2019, with the most recent rodent-related violation being from 2019.