East Village tenants rally over lack of gas, building conditions and landlord complaints

Tenants from buildings owned by the Sabet Group gathered outside 110 E. First St. yesterday morning to protest living conditions and what they describe as the landlord's pattern of mistreatment. 

According to organizers, 110 E. First St. Tenant Association and Tenants Against Sabet Group, residents at 110 E. First St. have been without cooking gas since October 2025. 

Residents also reported intermittent heat and hot water last winter and say unsafe construction work prompted them to form a tenant association. (EVG photo below from December 2025.)

As of Friday, the building had 126 open violations with the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), according to public records.

Residents also cite poor maintenance, difficulty obtaining repairs, the absence of a superintendent, alleged harassment, unpermitted construction and illegal apartment conversions. 

The complaints extend beyond First Street. Tenants Against Sabet Group represents residents in more than a dozen buildings owned by the company, which has a portfolio of more than 70 properties citywide, including more than 60 in Lower Manhattan, organizers say. 

The coalition is calling on city agencies to enforce housing regulations, require the correction of outstanding violations and more closely scrutinize whether construction work matches approved permits and plans. Tenants are also demanding more reliable communication and timely repairs from management. 

"We need to encourage landlords like the Sabet Group to support our communities, not to destroy them," organizers said in a statement. 

Sabet Group bought the 24-unit 110 E. First St., which sits along Houston Street near Avenue A, in October 2023 for $7 million, PincusCo. reported.