Worst Landlords in City: Executives from A&E Real Estate Top Infamous List
The two worst landlords in the city in the annual ranking released this week by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, both work for the mid-town Manhattan-based real estate giant, A & E Real Estate Holding: Margaret Brunn and Donald Hastings.
| 22 Jan 2026 | 09:07
The building at 2 Elwood St. in the Fort George section of Washington Heights has a staggering 415 open HPD violations and the executive in charge Donald Hastings, who runs 36 buildings, has been dubbed the second worst landlord in the city, just behind his colleague, Margaret Brunn who was #1. (
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A financially struggling mid-town Manhattan real estate giant has just had two of its top executives named #1 and #2 on the annual list of Worst Landlords in the City.
A&E president Margaret Brunn was deemed the #1 worst landlord, followed right behind in number two by vice president of operations Donald Hastings.
Making the infamous list may be the least of the 15-year-old company’s problems, however. The company which was founded in 2011 with the acquisition of single apartment building in Brooklyn, expanded rapidly in ensuing year, amassing considerable debt as it snapped up rent stabilized apartment buildings across the Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.
In October, Apex Bank claimed the company was in default on a $29 million loan backed by 1080 Amsterdam Ave, a former St. Luke’s-Roosevelt residence (now Mount Sinai Morningside.) And earlier last year, a $506.3M foreclosure lawsuit was filed against a portfolio of 31 A&E properties that included the sprawling Riverton Square housing complex in Harlem. A&E was seeking to have the case dismissed.
The annual list of 100 worst landlords in the city was released on Jan. 21 by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Hastings was listed as the executive in charge of 36 of the apartment buildings including seven in northern Manhattan and 29 in the South Bronx. The 36 buildings have 3,889 open Housing Preservation and Development violations, eight building code violations and eight tax liens in the past two years.
One of Hastings holdings at 2 Elwood St., was named number two on the Manhattan watch list. The other A&E holdings in Manhattan on the watch list include 530 W. 123rd St. with 42 violations; 503 W. 122nd St., with 127 violations, 342 Ft. Washington Ave, with 239 violations; 350 Ft. Washington Ave. with 142 violations and 370 Ft. Washington Ave.
Brunn, with 24 buildings on the watch list in Brooklyn and Queens racked up 4,872 open HPD violations, nine DOB violations and 68 tax liens over the past two years.
“Together, they account for 60 buildings and an average of nearly 9,000 open violations during the list’s assessment period,” Williams said. “This is the first known instance of the top two landlords representing the same entity and is a demonstration of both the breadth of violations at their properties and the means with which corporate entities seek to avoid accountability with different LLCs and head officers in city records.”
Neither Hastings nor Brunn had returned a call seeking comment.
Williams said that the #1 and #2 worst landlords individually surpassed any previous owner’s violations. Among the violations: rat and mouse infestations, broken doors and defective fire escapes.
Mayor Mamdani on Jan. 16 had revealed it had reached a settlement with A & E agreeing to pay $2.1 million in restitution. He said the city will impose injunctions preventing the real estate giant from harassing their tenants and compelling them to correct more than 4,000 building code violations across 14 buildings.
“For years, A&E has operated with callous disregard for those residing in its properties, racking up over 140,000 total violations, including 35,000 in the last year alone,” said Mamdani. “This is not just a failure to serve those to whom it holds an obligation. It is overt cruelty to tens of thousands of New Yorkers. City Hall will not sit idly by and accept this illegality, nor will we allow bad actors to continue to harass tenants with impunity.”
In addition to the seven Manhattan buildings owned by A&E, Williams in his Jan. 22 announcement said he had placed 67 other Manhattan buildings and they were were largely concentrated on the Upper West Side. A Chelsea Building on W. 25th was the sole representative from lower Manhattan on the list.
The top ten buildings on the watch list in Manhattan and the corporate owner:
1. KETER 613 LLC; 613 W. 140th St. Number of DOB Violations: 1; Number of HPD Violations: 444; Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): 4
2. 2 ELLWOOD STREET, LLC; 2 Elwood St. Number of DOB Violations: 2 Number of HPD Violations: 415; Tax liens (past two years) 2
3. 437 MANHATTAN LLC; 437 Manhattan Ave.; Number of DOB Violations: 2; Number of HPD Violations: 347; Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): three.
4. 162 W. 132nd St.; Number of DOB Violations: 2; Number of HPD Violations: 343; Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): 13
5. RIVLIN HOUSING ASSOCIATES; 740 Riverside Drive, Number of DOB Violations: 3; Number of HPD Violations: 318; Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): 2
6. CAMAWAY REALTY INC; 98 Vermilyea Ave.,; Number of DOB Violations: 3; Number of HPD Violations: 315; Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): 0
7. IC BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, LLC 406. W. 25th St.; Number of DOB Violations: 2; Number of HPD Violations: 312Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): 16
8. 926 REALTY LLC; 926 Amsterdam Ave.; Number of DOB Violations: 1; Number of HPD Violations: 311; Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): 0
9. WEST 151 STREET REALTY LLC; 208 W. 151 St.; Number of DOB Violations: 1; Number of HPD Violations: 294; Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): zero.
10. NUSSBAUM ASSOCIATES COMPANY LLC; 495 W. 186th St.; Number of DOB Violations: 1; Number of HPD Violations: 289 Tax Lien (Past 2 Years): 0