Tenants rally outside Bronx Housing Court, demand repairs from notorious landlord David Kleiner

Tenants from both properties, with support from Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), described chronic problems including a lack of heat and hot water, rodent infestations, leaks, mold, broken front-door locks and intercoms, inadequate garbage maintenance, tenant harassment and an unresponsive landlord and management company.

Kleiner has previously been named one of the city’s worst evictors by the Stop Croman Coalition and appeared on the Public Advocate’s Worst Landlords List. He also owns 1915 Billingsley Terrace, the Bronx apartment building that partially collapsed in 2023.

“These tenants have spent years asking for basic repairs and safe living conditions, only to be met with delay after delay,” said Jessica Bellinder, supervising attorney in the Group Advocacy Unit at The Legal Aid Society.  

“When landlords fail to uphold their legal responsibilities, tenants have every right to come together and seek relief through the courts. We stand with these residents as they fight for the safe and dignified housing they deserve.”

Bellinder said the E. 146th Street buildings were placed under a court-appointed receivership for the past two years while a bank pursued a foreclosure case involving the property.

“That put a brake on our ability to move forward,” Bellinder said.

The receiver was recently removed, allowing tenants to pursue litigation after Kleiner regained control of the buildings. Tenants from 337–341 E. 146th St. made their first court appearance on June 5, while tenants at 705 Gerard Ave. are expected to file their own case in the coming weeks.

“As part of the litigation, hopefully, we’ll be able to find out who owns this building, what are they doing, and why are they not making meaningful repairs,” she added.

Among the tenants who spoke was Ana, who moved into an apartment at 705 Gerard Ave in February 2024 with her husband and two daughters. She said she soon discovered serious problems in the unit, including a sunken floor, missing walls and a large closet that had been removed during renovations.

According to Ana, the apartment lacks a radiator, electrical outlets and windows in part of the living room. She said walls were constructed around existing windows and a radiator, leaving a significant portion of the room inaccessible.

During the winter, Ana said temperatures inside the apartment dropped to as low as 40 degrees, forcing her family to rely on portable heaters and extension cords to stay warm.

“I want my living room back, my radiator, and I want a deduction on rent for the years that I have made,” Ana said. “No more illegal monster renovations.”

Olga, a tenant at 337 E. 146th St., said the building lacks an on-site superintendent and instead relies on a handyman who has access to the property. According to Olga, the handyman hired people off the street to remove trash from the building, and one of those workers posted flyers urging tenants to report undocumented immigrants to federal immigration authorities.

Olga also described persistent safety concerns around the building, saying people regularly congregate outside the property to use and sell drugs and harass residents. She said tenants have repeatedly reported the activity to police but were told that building management must file complaints. Despite raising the issue with management, she said, tenants received no response.

The conditions have left residents feeling unsafe, Olga said. She recounted multiple incidents of violence affecting tenants, including an assault on her and her father. She also said she was followed into the building and sexually assaulted.     

The three buildings contain 130 apartments and have accumulated more than 540 open housing code violations, according to the Department of Housing Preservation with litigation involving both properties dating back more than two decades.

“The tenants at 705 Gerard Avenue have faced dangerous conditions for years, including roach and rodent infestations, mold, lack of heat, and serious building integrity and safety concerns. They have repeatedly reported these conditions to the landlord and the city to no avail,” said Divya Korada, staff attorney at the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project. 

“By holding their landlord accountable in court, the tenants of 705 Gerard are not only standing up for their own right, but every New Yorker’s right to live in dignified, safe housing.”