16 West 128th Street, Manhattan, NY 10027

The 3-unit, 3-story building at 16 West 128th Street in Harlem, owned by Christopher Cole, has experienced several significant events in recent years that warrant attention. Most notably, in March 2023, the building faced multiple Environmental Control Board violations related to illegal transient use of Apartment 3 on the third floor, including failure to provide required safety systems such as sprinklers, means of egress, and fire alarm systems, resulting in penalties totaling $7,500 (with a balance due of $4,591).

This followed a Department of Buildings complaint about illegal hotel rooms in residential buildings, though the DOB complaint had a disposition of "Oath Violation Served." The building has also had recurring issues with bedbug reporting compliance, receiving Housing Maintenance Code violations in 2021-2024 regarding failure to file annual bedbug reports, though recent filings indicate no infestations were recorded during those periods (latest filing for 2022-2023 shows 0 infested units). While rodent inspections show some rat activity in February and April 2023, more recent inspections in 2024 and early 2025 have passed with no noted issues, suggesting an improvement in pest control.

The building's age (built in 1909) and history of violations suggest ongoing monitoring is necessary, though recent rodent inspections and bedbug reporting compliance indicate some improvement in building maintenance. The most pressing safety concerns appear to have been addressed, as there have been no subsequent violations regarding the illegal transient use since March 2023.