Free Building Background Check

66 West 138th Street

MANHATTAN, NY 10037 BBL 1017357502 20 units · 5 floors · 1900

This building has a severe track record, and our model predicts major ongoing maintenance failures.

HPD violations vs. neighborhood
Class B/C violations on record vs. a typical building in Harlem
At or below average
avg 48.5
27
Fewer violations More violations

This building has 27 recorded HPD violations, at or below the Harlem average of 48.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 66 West 138th Street rent-stabilized?

Rent stabilization caps how much your rent can rise and protects your right to renew. Here's how this building scores on the four signals that usually point to it.

Built before 1974
Built 1900
6 or more units
20 units
Registered with RGB
Not found
421-A / J-51 abatement
None found
Potential rent stabilization. Building age and size suggest eligibility — confirm with the DHCR (Division of Housing and Community Renewal) or request a rent history.

Based on public NYC records. Not legal advice — verify with the DHCR (Division of Housing and Community Renewal) at apps.hcr.ny.gov.

Augrented Insights
AI summary · updated June 2026

The five-story Old Law Tenement building at 66 West 138th Street in Harlem, owned by Yida Stern, has a significant history of maintenance issues and violations over recent years. Most notably, there have been recurring water-related problems, with multiple complaints and violations regarding leaks, damp spots, and mold between 2024 and 2025, particularly affecting apartment 5B. The building has experienced persistent rodent activity, evidenced by multiple rat sightings and inspections showing rat activity between 2023 and 2025, though the most recent inspection in May 2025 passed with minor violations. Several maintenance issues were documented between 2024 and 2025, including problems with roofing, flooring, and ceiling conditions, with HPD inspections confirming violations that required correction. The building experienced a notable cluster of violations in August 2024, including issues with mold, water leaks, and paint/plaster conditions, though these were ultimately closed after inspections. Historical records show some pattern of construction-related complaints in 2018-2019, including concerns about plumbing work and electrical wiring, though these were mostly resolved and dismissed.

Recent maintenance activity includes multiple permit issuances for various work types between 2018 and 2021, suggesting ongoing building upkeep efforts. The property has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations, with no reported cases in recent years (2021-2024). While the building has experienced various maintenance challenges, the property owner has generally addressed violations through the required processes, with most recent issues being classified as minor rather than immediately hazardous. The building's age (constructed in 1900) and status as an Old Law Tenement are consistent with the pattern of infrastructure and maintenance issues observed in many similar buildings throughout New York City.

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How we score buildings

How 66 West 138th Street's risk score is calculated

We trained a model on 7 years of city inspection data — HPD violation filings, tenant complaints, and owner track records across their entire portfolio. It estimates the probability that HPD inspectors will find serious or dangerous violations at this address in the next 12 months. Lower % = safer.

What the score means for you

Neighborhood percentile
19th percentile

Out of 2807 buildings in this neighborhood, 533 have a higher predicted risk.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted violation outcome
3.5%
No serious
violations
47.7%
Some violations
(1–9)
48.7%
Many violations
(10+)
Risk factors

What's driving this score

These are the three data points that most influenced this building's score — ranked by how much weight the model placed on each one.

Serious violations last 1–2 years

HPD found serious or dangerous conditions at this address recently — the strongest signal of problems ahead.

Tenant HPD complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with HPD about this address over the last 7 years.

Failed rodent inspections (past 7 years)

Health dept. rodent inspections this building has failed over 7 years.

Don't stop here — this is just the surface.

The full report adds 30+ data sets, complete violation history, landlord portfolio and court record. Or keep reading free:

What's in the 66 West 138th Street report

Building characteristics
Total units20
Floors5
Year built1900
Gross area9,100 sq ft
Building class
Tax abatementNone
Issue trend & model projection

Violations & complaints per year — solid line is historical record, dashed line is AI projection.

Who's behind the building

66 West 138th Street's landlord & ownership

The people and companies registered to this building, the other properties they run, and their court record. A landlord's wider portfolio is often the best predictor of how your building will be treated.

Corporate Owner

Registered contact for this building.

Name
66 West 138 LLC
Address
261 Lenox Road Office
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Landlord portfolio

Other properties owned.

Portfolio data hidden

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What residents say

Reviews from 66 West 138th Street tenants

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On the map

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The story over time

66 West 138th Street event timeline

Violations, complaints, fines, and permits — the most recent records on file, in order.

2026
311+HPD Apr 06
Unsanitary Condition
Pests
HPD Violation Apr 03
Class C violation

See all 21 events

Full history back to 2018 — violations, complaints, permits, bedbug filings, and more.

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Every record we have

Full data for 66 West 138th Street apartments

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Side by side

How 66 West 138th Street compares to the neighborhood

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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from NYC Open Data, HPD, DOB, DOF & the courts

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