243 East 123rd Street, Manhattan, NY 10035

The five-story Old Law Tenement building at 243 East 123rd Street, owned by Walter Roberts, has experienced significant maintenance issues over the past several years. Most notably, in early 2025, there was a series of heat and hot water complaints (five in total between February and March 2025), with some resulting in HPD violations, particularly affecting the entire building.

The building has persistent rat activity, with multiple inspections between April 2024 and May 2025 showing evidence of infestation, though bait has been applied consistently. There are also several open violations affecting apartment 5A as of late 2024, including issues with mold (over 30 square feet), ceiling leaks, and various maintenance concerns such as a defective kitchen cabinet. The property has faced multiple facade maintenance challenges, particularly documented through ECB violations between 2019 and 2020, with penalties totaling over $40,000 for not addressing exterior stucco disrepair.

Additionally, there was a building stability complaint in 2019 regarding shaking and vibration. The building's historical data shows relatively clean bedbug records, with no reported infestations in recent years. While there have been various interior maintenance complaints recorded through HPD, including issues with paint/plaster and water leaks, the most pressing ongoing concerns appear to be the heat/hot water system problems and rodent activity, as well as the open violations related to maintenance issues in apartment 5A.