Morningside Heights
Academic enclave home to Columbia University, Barnard, and Riverside Church, with a mix of institutional and residential buildings.
Morningside Heights Building Violation Profile
Measured from HPD violations and 311 complaints filed in the 12 months to September 2026, matched to this area's buildings. Use it to set expectations before you sign or hire.
Rodent complaints ran 10.5 per 1,000 apartments, above the citywide 8.8.
Heat and hot water complaints in Morningside Heights ran 107.4 per 1,000 apartments over that year, below the citywide 125.7.
The median Morningside Heights apartment building went up in 1910, 64.9% of apartments sit in buildings from before 1940 (citywide 45.8%), and 5.7% are in buildings of five floors or fewer (citywide 37.1%).
Most common HPD issues in Morningside Heights
HPD issued 10.9 violations per 100 apartments in Morningside Heights over the 12 months to September 2026, below the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 3.8 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 53.8% of buildings recorded none.
Area figures describe 316 buildings holding 16,910 apartments, so check the specific address before you sign: one building's record can sit far from its neighborhood's average.
What the Records Show in Morningside Heights
Buildings in Morningside Heights averaged 10.9 HPD violations per 100 apartments over the 12 months to September 2026, below the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 3.8 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 53.8% of buildings recorded none at all.
| Measure | Morningside Heights | Citywide |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment buildings | 316 | 172,071 |
| Apartments | 16,910 | 2,846,490 |
| HPD violations per 100 apartments | 10.9 | 30.1 |
| Class C (immediately hazardous) per 100 | 3.8 | 9.2 |
| Buildings with no violations | 53.8% | 45.3% |
| Apartments in pre-1940 buildings | 64.9% | 45.8% |
| Apartments in buildings of 5 floors or fewer | 5.7% | 37.1% |
| Median year built | 1910 | n/a |
Figures cover buildings with three or more apartments in Morningside Heights, using HPD violations inspected in the 12 months to September 2026 and city lot records. Citywide figures use the same method. Search a specific address for that building’s own record.
Building Grades in Morningside Heights
316 apartment buildings in Morningside Heights were scored on October 8, 2026. 31.6% graded D or F, above the citywide 19.8%, and 39.6% graded A against 65.8% citywide. The average score was 70.8 out of 100.
Lowest-Scoring Buildings in Morningside Heights
| # | Building | Grade | Score | Open Class C | Open Class B | Open HPD cases | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 192 Claremont Avenue10027 · 20 apartments · built 1905 | F | 0 | 52 | 112 | 0 | AEP31 heat complaints |
| 2 | 464 West 126 Street10027 · 19 apartments · built 1901 | F | 0 | 48 | 107 | 1 | AEP36 heat complaints |
| 3 | 351 West 125 Street10027 · 38 apartments · built 1926 | F | 0 | 78 | 187 | 1 | AEPVacate order76 heat complaints |
| 4 | 107 Morningside Avenue10027 · 10 apartments · built 1901 | F | 0 | 18 | 26 | 0 | 10 heat complaints |
| 5 | 530 West 123 Street10027 · 11 apartments · built 1901 | F | 0 | 25 | 5 | 0 | Vacate order31 heat complaints |
| 6 | 457 West 125 Street10027 · 16 apartments · built 1901 | F | 0 | 13 | 78 | 0 | none |
| 7 | 111 Morningside Avenue10027 · 10 apartments · built 1901 | F | 0 | 15 | 25 | 1 | 16 heat complaints |
| 8 | 504 West 111 Street10025 · 44 apartments · built 1909 | F | 0 | 15 | 205 | 0 | 14 heat complaints |
| 9 | 528 West 123 Street10027 · 41 apartments · built 1901 | F | 0 | 41 | 100 | 1 | none |
| 10 | 51 Tiemann Place10027 · 62 apartments · built 1926 | F | 0 | 39 | 223 | 0 | 5 heat complaints |
Rent-Stabilized Apartments in Morningside Heights
143 buildings here were billed the rent-stabilization fee for 3,722 apartments on the 2024 property tax bill. Check whether a specific building is on the list with the rent-stabilization checker.
| Building | Stabilized units 2018 | Stabilized units 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 188 Claremont Avenue10027 | 16 | 6 | -10 |
| 41 Tiemann Place10027 | 27 | 20 | -7 |
| 417 Riverside Drive10025 | 12 | 6 | -6 |
Scores use the formula on the methodology page, applied to every lot with three or more apartments; the table ranks buildings with six or more. Stabilized unit counts are building totals from the DOF tax bill, compiled by nycdb, and say nothing about any individual apartment. See the most distressed buildings in the borough.
Services in Morningside Heights
Each service page is tailored to Morningside Heights’s building stock and common violation patterns.
Violation-Linked Repairs
For when Morningside Heights buildings already have open violations
Pre-Lease & Investigation
Audit a Morningside Heights building before you commit
Move-In Essentials
For after you’ve checked the building
Building Stock & Character
Pre-war apartment buildings, university housing, some brownstones
Academic, quiet relative to Manhattan, institution-heavy, riverside access
1 train (116th St, 110th St), B/C trains (Cathedral Pkwy)
Columbia University dominance, limited retail, commute-heavy for non-academics