HIGHBRIDGE, The Bronx (PIX11) – Tenants in a Bronx apartment building are taking matters into their own hands after they say complaints about bed bugs, mice, and roach infestations have fallen on deaf ears. 

Residents of 1187 Anderson Avenue staged a rent strike six months ago, and now they’re calling on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to intervene.

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Mercedes Escoto helped organize the rent strike over a lack of heat, leaking ceilings and pest control issues. Bed bugs are the latest concern.

“It’s horrendous. They’ve been biting the children, biting the people, even the animals, the cats,” Escoto told PIX11.

Tenants shared videos showing deplorable conditions, including what appear to be bed bugs in one unit and a rat inside the building.

A search of city records also revealed more than a dozen violations found during a June 16 visit, with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development ordering the landlord to abate a roach infestation in a second-floor apartment, among other complaints.

“This is no way of living. We’re suffering in this building because the landlord has abandoned it,” Escoto said.

Tenants say this infestation has been going on for years; in fact, they staged a rent strike over this same issue four years ago. That was under previous management.  In February, the building was sold at foreclosure to Longacre Management. Residents say the problems have persisted.

Now, tenants are calling on Mayor Mamdani to take action. PIX11 reached out to the mayor’s office Friday, but did not immediately hear back.

Property manager Brandon Goldgrub declined to go on camera but, on the phone, told PIX11 they were working to fix the issues, hiring an exterminator, and that the bed bug complaints only came to their attention this week. He’s asking tenants to be patient, but some neighbors said their patience had already run out months ago.

“So we stopped the rent six months ago,” Escoto said, “Because we say, why are we paying rent if we’re not getting the services that we need?”

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