1688 York Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10128

The four-story Old Law Tenement at 1688 York Avenue, owned by Shlome Reifer and located in the Upper East Side, was constructed in 1900 and contains 12 units. The building has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over recent years, particularly regarding fire safety and egress systems. Most notably, in 2023, violations were documented concerning obstructions on fire escapes on the 1st and 2nd stories, as well as a defective drop ladder issue, though these were certified as addressed by July 2023. An emergency HMC violation regarding the fire escape was logged in January 2022, and there was a documented egress obstruction due to a metal and plexiglass enclosure in late 2022, leading to an ECB violation.

The building has maintained consistent pest control measures, as evidenced by annual bedbug reports from 2019 through 2024 showing zero infested units. However, there have been some rodent-related concerns, with a DOHMH mouse sighting complaint in January 2022 and multiple pest-related issues documented in May 2021, including violations in the apartment 4B area. The property has undergone various inspections and addressed multiple maintenance issues between 2021 and 2023. These include inspections of doors, windows, electrical wiring, flooring, and unsanitary conditions, with most classified as non-violation cases.

A series of complaints were logged in 2021 regarding building systems including electrical, flooring, and door-related concerns, all of which were closed without violations. More recent building inspections as of 2023 suggest improved compliance with fire safety regulations, though historical violations related to fire escape egress and access remain the most concerning aspect of the building's maintenance history. The building has consistently passed annual rodent inspections between 2010 and 2019, indicating effective pest management prior to the reported sightings in 2021-2022. The most recent 311 service requests have primarily involved food establishment inspections and safety-related complaints, with the last significant reported issue being a 2024 sidewalk shed inspection that found no violations.