9 East 131st Street, Manhattan, NY 10037

9 East 131st Street in East Harlem is a 5-story, 20-unit residential building constructed in 1926 and currently owned by Francis Synmoie. The building has experienced recurring heat and hot water issues over the past three years, with multiple emergency complaints filed in 2022-2023, though inspections often revealed that heat and hot water had been restored by the time of HPD's visit. Recent maintenance concerns primarily revolve around door/window issues, including two emergency complaints in July 2024, and an unresolved refrigerator complaint from November 2024.

Apartment 2C has been the focus of several specific violations in 2024, including problems with smoke detectors, self-closing doors, latches, faucets, and carbon monoxide detectors. A recent building-wide issue was documented in September 2023 regarding improperly supported window A/C units on floors 2, 4, and 5, for which a $500 fine was imposed. The building's maintenance history shows some persistent issues, though recent inspections have generally resulted in passing rodent inspections (2023-2025).

The property has maintained an active bedbug reporting record, showing minimal infestation history with only one documented case in 2019, and all subsequent filings (2019-2025) reporting zero infested units. While there have been various maintenance issues documented through 311 service requests and HPD violations, many of these have been addressed promptly, though some, like the recent refrigerator complaint, indicate potential challenges with communication or access for inspections. The building's heating system appears to be particularly problematic, with multiple complaints filed throughout 2022-2023, though inspections typically show systems have been restored before inspection.