221 West 121st Street, Manhattan, NY 10027

The 10-unit, 5-story Old Law Tenement building at 221 West 121st Street in Harlem, owned by Arthur Ransome Houses LP, has experienced numerous maintenance and safety issues over the past three years, with the most recent concerns emerging in late 2024. Most notably, there are ongoing water-related problems, with multiple complaints about leaks (both heavy and slow) reported in December 2024, along with mold issues. The building has also faced consistent pest problems, including multiple rodent activity inspections throughout 2024-2025, with several inspections showing rat activity.

Compliance issues with fire safety equipment have been documented, particularly in Apartment 2B, where violations were recorded for missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in 2022-2023. The property has a significant history of infrastructure and safety concerns, including multiple violations related to exterior conditions. There are active ECB violations from 2023-2024 regarding an expired sidewalk shed permit, with penalties totaling $25,000.

The building has also faced intermittent heating problems, with a significant complaint about heat/hot water affecting the entire building in December 2024, though this was reportedly resolved promptly. Recent bedbug reports indicate some activity, with two infested units reported in 2024, following previous years with similar issues. The Department of Buildings records show recurring violations related to sidewalk shed safety, with several instances requiring Oath Violation procedures between 2019-2025. Despite these numerous complaints and violations, many recent HPD inspections have resulted in no violations being issued, though this may reflect access issues during inspections rather than indicating the absence of problems.