246 East 119th Street, Manhattan, NY 10035

246 East 119th Street is a 5-story, 10-unit residential building located in East Harlem, owned by Luis Vargas and constructed in 1900 as an Old Law Tenement. The building has experienced recurring issues with water leaks throughout 2024, with multiple complaints documented in both June and July, including heavy flow and slow leaks, some of which resulted in violations.

There were also significant concerns regarding the heating system, with emergency complaints about inadequate heat and hot water in July 2024, though some units had heat restored during inspections. The building has ventilation system problems, with violations noted in July 2024, and there are active violations regarding plaster and paint conditions in apartments 1A and 5A. Recent inspections and complaints indicate ongoing maintenance challenges, including open violations for a water leak and broken ventilation system in apartment 1A as of July 2024.

The building's compliance history shows three active low pressure inspection violations as of September 2024, and previous violations were issued for failure to file external low pressure inspections in 2023 and 2020. While the building has passed recent rodent inspections in 2024 and 2025, there was documented rat activity in late 2023, and the property has maintained a consistent record of zero bedbug infestations in all reporting periods from 2020 to 2025. Historical complaints from 2020-2021 included concerns about building vibrations and illegal commercial use, though these were closed due to access issues during inspections.