A documented tenant experience
An evidence-based record of the apartment conditions I observed at 125 West 31st Street—and how building management responded.
Address125 W 31st Street
Evidence52 photographs
Open conditions3 unresolved
Current recordUpdated July 2026
For other residents
If you have noticed persistent odors, warm air, openings around outlets or cabinets, or other problems in your unit, please get in touch. You can ask questions, compare experiences, or discuss help documenting conditions.
Other E units may have similar wall and cabinet layouts. If comparable wall holes or unsealed openings exist, they could provide a path for odors. I have not confirmed that every E unit has the same openings or odor condition.
Tenant-to-tenant contact; not legal advice.
Current status · July 2026
This section reflects my present understanding and the legal steps I am taking. No court has yet ruled on these matters.
Financial dispute
I was promised a one-month concession in the form of an American Express gift card after the applicable 60-day period. Management has told me it does not have the gift card and has not provided an estimated delivery date.
I am filing a small claims case concerning the promised concession.
Housing conditions
I am also filing an HP action in New York City Housing Court concerning the conditions I believe remain uncorrected in and immediately adjacent to the apartment.
The action concerns the three open conditions summarized below.
A visible gap around the cabinet electrical outlet where I observe warm, foul-smelling air.
Dirt, residue, and odor that I believe remain in the upper-right kitchen cabinet area.
A recurring strong odor and unusual warmth in the refuse-chute room behind the apartment.
Why this record exists
After moving into an E-line apartment at The Epic, I noticed a recurring foul odor that was generally strongest in the kitchen and main room. My apartment is directly behind the trash room, which I suspected could be related, although the photographs and measurements on this site do not by themselves establish the ultimate source of the air.
Over the following month, I documented conditions through photographs, maintenance requests, temperature measurements, inspections, and correspondence. Several items were repaired or replaced. My disagreement with management now concerns three conditions: the cabinet outlet opening, the dirty and odorous cabinet cavity, and the warm, foul-smelling refuse room.
“The purpose of this website is to preserve the record and let readers review the underlying evidence for themselves.
The photographic record
Each section distinguishes what I observed, what was later repaired, and what I believe remains open.
Exhibit A
Primary evidence
After panels were removed from the original microwave, I photographed heavy dirt, residue, and debris inside areas that were hidden during ordinary use.
The photographs include close-up views through the ventilation openings and wider views showing the condition of the exposed appliance panels. Building management subsequently replaced the microwave.
What the evidence shows: visible dirt and debris inside the original microwave before it was replaced.
Exhibit B
Primary evidence
The original refrigerator contained standing water, dirt, and debris in interior areas that were not visible during an ordinary walkthrough.
I photographed those conditions before the appliance was removed. Following that documentation, building management replaced the refrigerator. I include the complete photo set so readers can assess the condition directly.
Outcome: the refrigerator was replaced after the condition was documented.
Exhibit C
Primary evidence
This was the area that consistently concerned me most. When temporary tape covering the cabinet area was removed, I perceived the odor as noticeably stronger. Photographs show dirt and residue beside the outlet and accessible wall cavity.
The after-cleaning photographs are presented beside the original set. I believe odor and dirty conditions in this area persist; management disputes that further cleaning or outlet sealing is required.
A documented measurement sequence
The July 16 sequence begins with a 78.0°F room reading at 4:29 p.m. Inside the microwave cabinet, the monitor reached 91.2°F at 5:18 p.m. Later room readings returned to 80.5°F and 78.6°F. The photographs document the readings, but the temperature change does not by itself identify the heat source.
+13°F documented rise
Exhibit D
Related unresolved condition
During the same investigation, I documented a visible gap around the electrical outlet inside the cabinet.
I observed warm, foul-smelling air in this area and believe the unsealed gap is relevant. Management has not agreed to seal it. The photographs show the physical opening; they do not, on their own, establish where the air originated.
Open condition 03
Refuse-chute room
The refuse-chute room immediately behind my apartment is consistently very warm and, in my experience, frequently smells very bad. Because the apartment shares a wall with this room, I believe its conditions may be relevant to the warm, foul-smelling air I observe around the kitchen cabinet and outlet gap.
The temperature observation does not establish the source or path of the air. The recurring refuse-room odor is the condition directly addressed by the maintenance rule quoted here.
Exhibit E
Supporting evidence
During maintenance work, I documented an opening in the wall behind the upper kitchen cabinets. The opening provided a visible path into the wall cavity.
Building maintenance later repaired this opening. I include it because it provides context for why I continued examining other unsealed penetrations around the apartment.
Supporting record
Lower priority · resolved
The bathroom originally had openings around plumbing penetrations and a separate sewer-like odor. After those openings were sealed, that bathroom odor stopped. I present this as a smaller, resolved example of an observed condition followed by a repair—not as proof of the source of odor elsewhere.
How the record developed
I immediately noticed a recurring odor in the kitchen and main room and a separate sewer-like smell in the bathroom. Maintenance staff said they did not observe the apartment odor.
I photographed dirt and debris inside the original microwave, the refrigerator, the cabinet area, wall openings, the electrical outlet gap, and bathroom plumbing penetrations.
Management replaced the refrigerator and microwave, repaired one kitchen wall opening, sealed the bathroom openings, and inspected the apartment multiple times.
I believe the kitchen outlet opening, the dirty and odorous cabinet cavity, and the warm, foul-smelling refuse room remain unresolved. Management does not agree that further work is necessary. I am filing an HP action concerning these conditions and a small claims case concerning the Amex gift-card concession.
Management response
Actions taken
Management’s position
Management stated that staff generally did not observe the odor during visits. It ultimately offered to let me terminate the lease early rather than provide a rent concession or perform the additional cabinet-area work I requested.
My position
I appreciate the repairs and the offer to end the lease. Moving again would be costly and disruptive, particularly during Manhattan’s peak rental season. I am asking that the kitchen outlet opening be sealed, the cabinet cavity be properly cleaned, and the odor and heat conditions in the refuse room be addressed.
Conclusion
My objective is to preserve a complete record of what I experienced, including both the conditions I documented and the actions building management took in response. Descriptions of odor and suspected air movement reflect my personal observations and conclusions. The photographs and measurements are presented so readers can evaluate the underlying evidence directly. References to planned or pending court filings do not imply that a court has made any finding.
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