5 West 137th Street, Manhattan, NY 10037

The six-story New Law tenement building at 5 West 137th Street in Harlem, owned by Graciela Pappachen and constructed in 1920, has experienced numerous maintenance issues in 2025, with particular concerns regarding heat and water systems. Most notably, there are currently open complaints as of April 2025 regarding a slow water leak and a door issue, and recurring problems with heat and hot water throughout the building have been documented. From January to March 2025 alone, there were multiple complaints about heat and hot water issues, with several complaints being duplicates of each other.

A pest infestation was documented in February 2025, and violations were issued. The building has also had recurring issues with water leaks, as evidenced by complaints in both February and April 2025. More recently, in July 2025, the building underwent rodent inspections with several applications of bait, indicating ongoing pest control efforts.

The property has received multiple violation notices in 2024, including issues with waste management, building security (specifically concerning self-closing doors), and rodent infestation in the front yard. While the building has been consistently filing Bedbug Reports from 2019 to 2025 showing zero infested units, the ongoing rodent activity and various maintenance issues suggest persistent challenges with building maintenance and resident comfort. The property has a documented history of heat and hot water system problems, with emergency complaints being filed multiple times throughout 2025.