215 East 96th Street, Manhattan, NY 10128

215 East 96th Street is a 41-story, 476-unit residential building constructed in 2005 and currently owned by Christopher Schmidt. The building has experienced persistent pest control challenges in recent years, with multiple reports of rodent and pest activity between 2023 and 2024, including a series of HPD complaints and DOHMH inspections. Most recently, there were two unsanitary condition complaints in August 2024 that could not be inspected due to lack of access, though there had been earlier interventions with some violations being issued.

The building has undergone several significant inspections and violations, including a February 2023 inspection that found issues with a gas supply and window lock in apartment 18A, and a September 2023 violation for vermin and flies in the 39th-story public hall. The property has had multiple emergency and non-emergency maintenance issues documented through 311 service requests, including problems with sewage, plumbing, and various maintenance concerns. More recent inspections from 2024-2025 have shown ongoing pest management efforts, with multiple instances of rat activity requiring bait application.

Structural and safety concerns have also been documented, including a 2024 electrical wiring issue that resulted in an Oath violation and a 2022 elevator safety concern that was addressed. The building's management has responded to various inspections and violation notices, with some issues being resolved while others remain active or were dismissed. Interestingly, while the building had past bedbug infestations (as per reports from 2019-2023), more recent annual reports (2023-2024) indicate no current infestations, with most eradications occurring successfully.