Exposed Wires, Leaks, Mold, Vermin: Upper West Side SRO Tenants Sue Over Intolerable Conditions

October 5, 2016, NEW YORK—After years of deplorable conditions and landlord harassment, seven tenants of an Upper West Side Single Room Occupancy (SRO) building are going to court to demand repairs.

 
The problems at 361 West 116^th St. range from holes in the walls, floors and ceilings to bedbug, roach and rodent infestations, according to a suit filed in city Housing Court. The building also suffers from leaky ceilings, mold, and peeling lead paint. It currently has 141 open HPD violations.

Press coverage: West Side Rag, Manhattan Express

While the tenants have endured harassment for years, the current owner only purchased the building in May and immediately commenced non-pay proceedings against nearly all the residents. The tenants are receiving legal support from Jasmin E. Torres of Manhattan Legal Services (a program of Legal Services NYC) and Tayyaba Khokhar of the Goddard Riverside Law Project. 

“In addition to these dangerous and intolerable living conditions, the tenants have frequently been deprived of heat in the winter,” said Khokhar. “They’ve been harassed by the landlord with repeated buyout demands even after they’ve made it clear that they intend to stay in the building. We’re asking the court to order the owner to make this building safe and livable again, because no New Yorker should have to live in these conditions.”

“No one should be forced to live in the conditions that these tenants have endured for years,” said Torres. “We are bringing this landlord to court seeking an order to correct these deplorable conditions so that our clients can be restored to a quality of life that everyone who lives in New York City deserves.” 

The suit seeks a court order to force the building’s owner to fix the problems and cease harassing tenants. It also asks the court to impose civil penalties for failing to address the violations promptly.

“Tenants in this city have a right to safe, clean housing under the law,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “When landlords fail to maintain their properties and force New Yorkers to live in unacceptable conditions, our courts must step in. I thank Goddard Riverside and Manhattan Legal Services for representing these tenants, and call on the court to swiftly enforce the law.”

“Years of deplorable conditions have plagued the tenants at 361 West 116th Street,” remarked New York City Council Member Inez E. Dickens. “The current owner purchased the building with open violations in May and immediately began non-payment proceedings against the residents. We are asking that although he may be within his legal rights to commence action, we would hope that just as quickly, he would begin remediation of all violations.”

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 Contact: Kate Whalen, 646-442-3654, kwhalen (at) legalservicesnyc.org