Tenants of Bronx building fighting for elevators fixed

THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Dozens of tenants of a Bronx building said they have been battling broken elevators and need repairs for years.

Advocates said the building has hundreds of open violations. Some tenants said they wanted answers.

Just outside 480 East 188th St., dozens of tenants made their voices heard and said they were sick and tired of broken elevators, rodents, and a lack of repairs. Margaret Price, who has lived in the building for 36 years, gave us a laundry list of problems.

Price said broken elevators are another big problem, especially on hot days like this. There are 16 floors here; some said it’s a health hazard.

PIX11 News called the landlord and management office several times with no response. 

According to a spokesperson from NYC’s Housing Preservation and Development, there is a comprehensive litigation case seeking an order to correct violations.

A recent case also involved heat and hot water, resulting in civil penalties and orders to correct.

A Department of Buildings spokesperson told PIX11 News their teams were last on the scene on Monday in response to 311 complaints about the elevator.

During the inspection, our inspectors found that one of the two elevators in the building was out of service. DOB Issued a violation. DOB will be following up to get an update on the timeline for repairs.

Tenants said they will continue to have meetings and rallies fighting for change.