111 West 138th Street, Manhattan, NY 10030

The 5-story, 10-unit residential building at 111 West 138th Street in Harlem, owned by Laura B Thomas Houses LP, has experienced significant heating system issues over the past two years. There have been multiple emergency heat/hot water complaints between late 2024 and early 2025, affecting both whole-building and apartment-specific systems, with some violations still remaining open as of December 2024.

The building's heating infrastructure has been the subject of three active environmental control board violations from 2023-2024, with penalties totaling over $14,000, citing problems such as a leaking boiler, corrosion, and unsafe operating conditions including carbon monoxide emissions. Additional maintenance concerns have emerged, including violations for pest infestations (mice and roaches), mold, and defective self-closing doors. Significant building system issues include multiple documented problems with the boiler system, evidenced by ten emergency service requests and three active ECB violations regarding the Weil McLain boilers.

There have also been violations related to the sidewalk shed/scaffolding system, with multiple active penalties totaling over $20,000 for improper installation and safety concerns. The building has undergone several rodent inspections, generally passing, though there were two noted failures in mid-2023. While the building has demonstrated compliance with bedbug reporting requirements, showing no infestations between 2021 and 2024, the recurring heating system failures and significant HVAC-related violations represent the most pressing ongoing maintenance challenges.