Citi-Urban Mgmt Sells East Village Properties Amidst Growing Criticism

Citi-Urban Management, a property management company with a stranglehold on residential real estate in New York City, has recently sold several properties in the East Village amid growing criticism over their management practices. Among the properties sold are two of Citi-Urban Managements’ most notorious properties at the center of the growing criticism against the management company, owned by the Halegua family — for having racked up hundreds of housing code violations.

Citi-Urban Management has long been under scrutiny for its handling of properties in the East Village. Data from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) reveals that between 2021 and 2024, Citi-Urban properties accumulated a staggering 1,169 violations and 1,592 complaints across just 306 units.¹ These violations ranged from lack of heat and hot water to severe water damage and hazardous living conditions.

"We didn't have hot water for 13 days out of the past month with the longest stretch from April 4th to April 11th. We sent 14 service request, over a dozen emails, and left multiple voicemails and got not a single response. Eric Borkowski stated that there will be no rent reductions for this issue for the month. I am now working with pro bono lawyers to expose this business and make sure they're fined for every day we didn't have hot water. Stay very clear of this company." - Julia, via Google

In April, one of Citi-Urban Managements East Village properties (131 Avenue A) caught fire for the second time within a six month period. Fire alarms did not work, hallways were not adequately lit & fire escapes were malfunctioning, leading tenants to jump from the building to their safety. Despite this, Citi-Urban Management still ignored emails from concerned tenants.²

The Avenue A property is among the numerous properties sold to RYCO NYC LLC, a relatively unknown management company that formed in January 2023.

"Do not ever do business with Citi-Urban. You will avoid a ton of pain, misery, and damaged property. They are incompetent to a point of criminal liability. For me, they refused to fix broken heaters in my apartment, which remained broken throughout winter. They also refused to repair the leaks in my bedroom ceiling despite months of pleading. When I took them to housing court, their strategy was just to bold face lie to the judge and delay proceedings until my lease expired. Clearly not their first rodeo in litigation. These are truly immoral, evil people, and they will surely do whatever they can to exploit you. Josh Halegua, you’re an awful human being and an even worse landlord." - Maeshal Abid, via Google

Halegua family patriarch, Nathan Halegua, sits on the Alzheimer's Foundation of America board of directors.³

This story will be updated as it develops.