(The Harlem Contributors)
Every year around this time there is a listing of the worst landlords in NYC, as determined by HPD complaints. Patch has an article on it: https://patch.com/new-york/harlem/26-harlem-buildings-appear-citys-worst-landlord-watchlist
I have taken the worst in Harlem and created a map to illustrate where they are located.
Interestingly, the largest grouping is in northern, West Harlem. And, shockingly, only one building on Lexington Ave. was located in East Harlem.
As with any reported data, we have to note that people’s willingness to report violations to a governmental agency like HPD (via 311, for example) is heavily impacted by their sense of entitlement/disenfranchisement. We only have to look at the flurry of 311 and 911 calls made by anxious Upper West Side residents when the presence of one small homeless facility appeared in their midst.
Nevertheless, the report from HPD includes 26 Harlem buildings, which made the list based on the average number of violations they received in 2020.
Based on that metric, the worst building in Harlem was 162 West 132nd St., a 12-unit building that had 368 open violations this year.
The ranking uses HPD data on the two most severe classes of violations, which can include rodent infestations, lead-based paint, failure to provide public doors and lighting or a lack of heat, hot water, electricity or gas.
The New York City Housing Authority — with more than 341,000 open work orders across 326 developments — was given its own designation as worst landlord for the third year in a row.
(Use the + sign to zoom in on Harlem in the map below to learn more.)
Hover over any of the dots to learn more about the address, and the number of violations.