42 West 120th Street, Manhattan, NY 10027

42 West 120th Street is a 7-story, 28-unit residential building constructed in 1902 and currently owned by James Simari. The Harlem property has experienced recurring issues with plumbing and water systems over the past few years, with the most recent complaints in 2025 involving water supply problems and a slow leak documented in late 2023. There have been multiple reports of cooking gas-related issues in 2022, including emergencies, though inspections generally found no violations.

The building has faced several significant safety concerns, including violations related to carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms in Apartment 1A (2022), as well as an unsatisfactory pest inspection in May 2022. More recent rodent inspections in 2023-2025 show variable results, with "Rat Activity" noted in late 2024, though the building passed inspections most of the time. The property has multiple active violations and compliance issues, particularly regarding building management requirements.

These include failures to file required energy benchmarking reports (since 2019), as well as outstanding issues related to facade maintenance and other building systems. Historical data indicates previous concerns about building safety systems, with violations noting defective self-closing doors in the vestibule at public hall, 1st story (2022). Despite these issues, the building has maintained a consistent record of not reporting any bedbug infestations since at least 2018, according to the mandated reporting requirements. Recent maintenance patterns suggest some responsiveness to issues, as evidenced by the closing of multiple HPD complaints, though many were resolved without violations being issued.