Upper West Side
A residential neighborhood with cultural institutions and Central Park access.
Upper West Side 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 7.6 per 1,000 apartments, below the citywide 8.8.
Heat and hot water complaints in Upper West Side ran 51.3 per 1,000 apartments over that year, below the citywide 125.7.
The median Upper West Side apartment building went up in 1899, 60.1% of apartments sit in buildings from before 1940 (citywide 45.8%), and 19.3% are in buildings of five floors or fewer (citywide 37.1%).
Most common HPD issues in Upper West Side
HPD issued 7.2 violations per 100 apartments in Upper West Side over the 12 months to September 2026, below the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 2.3 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 54.8% of buildings recorded none.
Area figures describe 3,434 buildings holding 128,887 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 Upper West Side
Buildings in Upper West Side averaged 7.2 HPD violations per 100 apartments over the 12 months to September 2026, below the citywide 30.1. Immediately hazardous Class C conditions ran 2.3 per 100 apartments against 9.2 citywide, and 54.8% of buildings recorded none at all.
| Measure | Upper West Side | Citywide |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment buildings | 3,434 | 172,071 |
| Apartments | 128,887 | 2,846,490 |
| HPD violations per 100 apartments | 7.2 | 30.1 |
| Class C (immediately hazardous) per 100 | 2.3 | 9.2 |
| Buildings with no violations | 54.8% | 45.3% |
| Apartments in pre-1940 buildings | 60.1% | 45.8% |
| Apartments in buildings of 5 floors or fewer | 19.3% | 37.1% |
| Median year built | 1899 | n/a |
Figures cover buildings with three or more apartments in Upper West Side-Lincoln Square, Upper West Side (Central), Upper West Side-Manhattan Valley, 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 Upper West Side
3,435 apartment buildings in Upper West Side were scored on October 8, 2026. 23.2% graded D or F, above the citywide 19.8%, and 54.5% graded A against 65.8% citywide. The average score was 78.9 out of 100.
Lowest-Scoring Buildings in Upper West Side
| # | Building | Grade | Score | Open Class C | Open Class B | Open HPD cases | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 West 89 Street10024 · 9 apartments · built 1895 | F | 0 | 237 | 226 | 1 | Vacate order54 heat complaints |
| 2 | 700 Amsterdam Avenue10025 · 14 apartments · built 1900 | F | 0 | 98 | 129 | 2 | AEP72 heat complaints |
| 3 | 68 West 85 Street10024 · 9 apartments · built 1895 | F | 0 | 58 | 77 | 1 | AEP45 heat complaints |
| 4 | 698 Amsterdam Avenue10025 · 13 apartments · built 1900 | F | 0 | 93 | 51 | 2 | AEP100 heat complaints |
| 5 | 72 West 87 Street10024 · 8 apartments · built 1889 | F | 0 | 29 | 39 | 0 | none |
| 6 | 477 Amsterdam Avenue10024 · 8 apartments · built 1890 | F | 0 | 20 | 61 | 0 | none |
| 7 | 114 West 71 Street10023 · 8 apartments · built 1884 | F | 0 | 23 | 37 | 0 | none |
| 8 | 925 Columbus Avenue10025 · 16 apartments · built 1920 | F | 0 | 39 | 95 | 0 | none |
| 9 | 2647 Broadway10025 · 23 apartments · built 1910 | F | 0 | 68 | 77 | 0 | 27 heat complaints |
| 10 | 317 West 88 Street10024 · 10 apartments · built 1896 | F | 0 | 18 | 71 | 0 | none |
Rent-Stabilized Apartments in Upper West Side
1,897 buildings here were billed the rent-stabilization fee for 22,850 apartments on the 2024 property tax bill. Among buildings billed in both years, the count fell 14.1% from 2018 to 2024. Check whether a specific building is on the list with the rent-stabilization checker.
| Building | Stabilized units 2018 | Stabilized units 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 180 Riverside Boulevard10069 | 516 | 91 | -425 |
| 60 Riverside Boulevard10069 | 345 | 6 | -339 |
| 101 West End Avenue10023 | 506 | 195 | -311 |
| 33 West End Avenue10023 | 331 | 120 | -211 |
| 2521 Broadway10025 | 285 | 97 | -188 |
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 Upper West Side
Each service page is tailored to Upper West Side’s building stock and common violation patterns.
Violation-Linked Repairs
For when Upper West Side buildings already have open violations
Pre-Lease & Investigation
Audit a Upper West Side building before you commit
Move-In Essentials
For after you’ve checked the building
Building Stock & Character
Pre-war co-ops, brownstones, post-war rentals, luxury towers
Family-friendly, intellectual, cultural institutions, tree-lined streets
1/2/3 trains (Broadway), B/C trains (Central Park West)
Competitive for families, strict co-op boards, expensive