2161 2nd Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10029

The 4-unit, 4-story tenement building at 2161 2nd Avenue in East Harlem, owned by Lamont Baker, has faced recurring pest and maintenance challenges since 2018. Most notably, there has been a persistent rat infestation problem, with rat activity confirmed in inspections throughout 2024 and 2025.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has documented multiple violations related to both rodent sightings and unsanitary pigeon conditions, with the most recent rodent complaint from June 2025 currently requiring follow-up inspections. The building has shown some improvement in extermination efforts, with bait applied in August 2023 and various compliance inspections performed, though most recent inspections in 2025 continued to show rat activity. The building has also experienced significant maintenance issues, particularly with heat and hot water systems, evidenced by emergency complaints in October 2019 and February 2020, which were subsequently resolved.

Multiple Housing Maintenance Code violations were issued between 2018-2021, including concerns about the building's roof, public hall conditions, and electrical wiring. However, the property has maintained an active bedbug reporting record from 2020 to 2024, with no infestations recorded in any of the reporting periods. While two permits were issued in March 2019 for work that included electrical and plumbing modifications, the building continues to require ongoing attention to address rodent management and maintenance issues, as evidenced by the recurring nature of complaints and inspections.