Lead paint violations at 281 St Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan
HPD lists 16 open lead paint violations at this Morningside Heights building in Manhattan, under Local Law 1. Each order is set out in plain English, newest first.
- open lead paint violations
- 16
- of them class C, immediately hazardous
- 4
- apartments named in open orders, plus 2 building-wide
- 13
- newest lead order issued
- Mar 11, 2026
- lead orders on record since 2007
- 50
An order is open while HPD still hasn't accepted a repair, or proof from the owner, for it. Once HPD accepts it, the order is closed. What to do next
Lead orders still open, newest first
All 16 open orders appear below. When one day's order covers several apartments, those apartments share a row, and each one is named.
| Apartment | What HPD ordered | Class | Where | Issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 apartments25, 23, 21, 34, 33, 32, 42, 41, 55, 54, 65, 63 | Vacant-apartment lead work not proven (order 623) | B, hazardous | The whole apartment | Mar 11, 2026 |
| Building | Young children: tenants not asked, or no lead check (order 619) | C, immediately hazardous | Yearly tenant notice | Jan 26, 2026 |
| Building | Lead records not handed to HPD (order 620) | C, immediately hazardous | Building paperwork | Jan 26, 2026 |
| 43 | Peeling lead paint to fix (order 624)Not fixed when re-checked | C, immediately hazardous | 1st closet from west at north wall wall in the 3rd room from east | Sep 3, 2024 |
| 34 | Lead records not handed to HPD (order 618)Inspector could not get in to re-check | C, immediately hazardous | Building paperwork | Mar 15, 2010 |
Unless a row says otherwise, each open order here still reads "notice sent to the owner". For HPD Online, the building ID numbers are BIN 1059297, BBL 1019510014. Open HPD Online
Your next steps
- Keep children away from peeling paint. Wash hands, toys, pacifiers, window sills and floors often, and keep children away from rooms where repair work makes dust. Don't sand, scrape or repaint old paint yourself, because that creates lead dust.
- Get your child tested. If you think your child was exposed, get a blood lead test from the doctor now. At age 1, and once more at age 2, New York also requires the test. How the test works
- Put your complaint in writing. Tell your landlord about the peeling paint, and whether a child under age 6 lives at 281 St Nicholas Avenue. Free letters in English and Spanish
- Report the problem to HPD. Call 311, or report it online, about peeling paint or repair work that makes dust. Filing is free, and your immigration status doesn't matter.
- Child tested high for lead? Follow the doctor's plan for retesting, then talk to a lead paint lawyer about the building's record: call (888) 503-5930.
These lead orders in plain English
Local Law 1 of 2004 is the city's lead paint law, and these orders were issued under it. Lead paint is presumed in buildings built before 1960, and owners get extra duties for apartments where a child under 6 lives.
- 12 open: vacant-apartment lead work not proven. While the apartment sat empty, the owner had to make its doors, windows and floors lead-safe, then prove that to HPD. The proof isn't there.
- 2 open: lead records not handed to HPD. The building's lead paint records, covering notices, inspections and repairs, were requested by HPD, but the owner didn't send them within 45 days.
- 1 open: young children: tenants not asked, or no lead check. The owner failed to send the yearly notice asking whether the apartment has a child under 6, or failed to check for lead hazards.
- 1 open: peeling lead paint to fix. The paint here contains lead, or is presumed to, and it is peeling or sits on damaged surfaces. Repairing it is the owner's job, using lead-safe work methods.
HPD uses class C for a condition that is immediately hazardous. A closed order is one where HPD accepted a repair, or proof from the owner. Of the lead orders here, 34 are closed.
Lead orders here, year by year
- 20072
- 20081
- 20101
- 201312
- 20146
- 20155
- 20163
- 20173
- 20181
- 20242
- 202614
Closed lead orders (34)
| Apartment | What HPD ordered | Class | Issued | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Sep 4, 2024 | Jan 14, 2025 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Oct 10, 2017 | Mar 26, 2024 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Oct 10, 2017 | Mar 26, 2024 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Jun 6, 2018 | Jun 15, 2018 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Nov 16, 2015 | Mar 30, 2017 |
| 22 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Mar 24, 2017 | Mar 28, 2017 |
| 45 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Jul 14, 2008 | Mar 13, 2017 |
| 22 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Sep 16, 2016 | Dec 14, 2016 |
| 22 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Sep 16, 2016 | Dec 14, 2016 |
| 22 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Sep 16, 2016 | Dec 14, 2016 |
| 31 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Aug 26, 2013 | Jun 15, 2016 |
| 31 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Aug 26, 2013 | Jun 15, 2016 |
| 53 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Sep 27, 2007 | Apr 22, 2015 |
| 53 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Sep 27, 2007 | Apr 22, 2015 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Sep 12, 2013 | Apr 22, 2015 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Jan 2, 2015 | Jan 28, 2015 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Jan 2, 2015 | Jan 28, 2015 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Jan 2, 2015 | Jan 28, 2015 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Jan 2, 2015 | Jan 28, 2015 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Dec 12, 2013 | Nov 25, 2014 |
| 34 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Oct 29, 2014 | Nov 24, 2014 |
| 34 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Oct 29, 2014 | Nov 24, 2014 |
| 34 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Oct 29, 2014 | Nov 24, 2014 |
| 34 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Oct 29, 2014 | Nov 24, 2014 |
| 34 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Oct 29, 2014 | Nov 24, 2014 |
| 34 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Oct 29, 2014 | Nov 24, 2014 |
| 34 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | May 28, 2013 | Nov 17, 2014 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Dec 12, 2013 | Feb 26, 2014 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Dec 12, 2013 | Feb 26, 2014 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Dec 12, 2013 | Feb 26, 2014 |
| 46 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Dec 12, 2013 | Feb 26, 2014 |
| 22 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Dec 4, 2013 | Feb 13, 2014 |
| 22 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Dec 4, 2013 | Feb 13, 2014 |
| 22 | Peeling lead paint to fix | C | Dec 4, 2013 | Feb 13, 2014 |
A closed order is one where HPD has accepted a repair, or proof from the owner, for it. That doesn't mean the entire building is lead-safe.
Lead orders at other buildings in Morningside Heights
Records: HPD's housing violation data, published on NYC Open Data and refreshed monthly; it covers lead paint orders 610 to 626, and the newest lead order anywhere in it is dated October 21, 2026. This page only reads the public record. It is not a medical opinion or a legal finding about the owner.