Heights Tenants Make Demands Of Landlord Named 2nd Worst By NYC

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — In a meeting on Saturday, tenants in six buildings across Washington Heights and Inwood owned by Lewis Barbanel, who was recently named New York City's second-worst landlord in the Public Advocate's 2020 Watch List, filed opposition papers to a set of recently announced property improvements and demanded immediate more vital repairs to their apartments and building.

For years, the tenants say that Barbanel has prioritized making cosmetic improvements to common areas while simultaneously gutting empty apartments and neglecting more needed repairs for long-term tenants.

"The statement below is a general & broad statement, but we repair all issues that come to our attention. We have a large crew of handymen, as well as third-party contractors that are making hundreds of repairs per day. This is in addition to the work the Supers are performing," a spokesperson from Barberry Rose Management told Patch.

Barbanel heads Barberry Rose Management Company, which is a property management company with decades of experience in the management of both commercial and residential real estate.

In 2020, Barbanel had 1,383 Housing Preservation and Development violations — the second most of any New York City landlord.

Here are the Upper Manhattan buildings under his management:

• 548 West 164th Street
• 3856 Broadway
• 574 West 161st Street
• 26 Post Avenue
• 711 West 180th Street
• 565 West 175th Street
• 133 Sherman Avenue
• 390 Wadsworth Avenue
• 1520 St. Nicholas Avenue
• 550 West 183rd Street
• 117 Sherman Avenue
• 121 Sherman Avenue
• 129 Sherman Avenue
• 247 Audubon
• 561 West 163rd Street

"Lewis Barbanel, I know you are running a business and trying to make a profit, but please don't do it at the expense of our lives," said Fatima Solano, a Barberry Rose Tenant Union Leader from 129 Sherman Avenue, during Saturday's meeting.

The tenants' meeting on Saturday was organized by the Barberry Rose Tenant Union, with support from the Met Council on Housing, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, and Manhattan Legal Services.

"Ever since Barberry Rose Management took over, home feels like hell and unsafe," said Jason Pimentel, a different tenant leader from 129 Sherman Avenue. "Everyone is worried lease renewals being denied and the rent going sky high, because of major capital improvements."

You can watch the full meeting below.