163 East 81st Street
163 East 81st Street, New York, NY 10028
BBL 1015100030 · BIN 1047567
- Year built
- 1927
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; not in a historic district
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Planning records, updated February 2026
- Subletting by shareholders
- Permitted
- Pied-à-terre
- Permitted
- Pets
- Pets permitted; species and limits not stated
- Maximum financing
- 50% of the purchase price
- Flip tax
- 2% of the purchase price, paid by the seller
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median, 2023–2026
- $1.7M
- 6 qualifying sales
- Recent range
- $735K – $2.5M
- Listing discount
- 2.0%
- Recorded transfers
- 58
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 163 E 81st St Corp. would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — reviewed personally against condition, exposures, renovation quality, and the competition actually on the market.
163 East 81st Street is a cooperative designed by Schwartz & Gross and completed in 1927. It converted to cooperative ownership in 1947, before the conversion wave of the 1970s and 1980s.
The location offers access to Museum Mile and Central Park to the west, the Lexington and Second Avenue subways, and neighborhood restaurants and shops.
Architecture and unit composition
The facade combines red brick, a limestone base, Romanesque-influenced masonry and an arched limestone entrance surround. Schwartz & Gross also designed apartment buildings on Park Avenue and Central Park West.
Across 42 residences the layouts run to gracious pre-war proportions. Many apartments retain the features that draw buyers to this era: wood-burning fireplaces, high beamed ceilings, classic moldings, and the deep light-and-air of pre-war construction. The mix spans comfortable one- and two-bedroom homes to larger family-sized layouts.
Building operations
163 East 81st Street is a full-service cooperative. A full-time doorman staffs the entrance, a live-in superintendent runs the building, and shareholders share a laundry room, bicycle storage, individual storage units, and a children's playroom — a full amenity set for a building of this size.
The co-op's policies are clearly defined: it permits pets and allows pieds-à-terre, allows up to 50% financing, and carries a 2% flip tax paid by the buyer on resale. Purchases proceed through a standard board application and interview. Review the current budget, audited statements, debt and any assessments before relying on the building's financial position.
Application and transaction fees
Fees below are from building management's published schedule, as of October 2026. They are shown as published, item by item; no total is added because the total depends on the transaction. Deposits are listed apart from nonrefundable charges.
- Terms
- 2% of the Sales Price
- Rate
- 2% of the purchase price
- Paid by
- Seller
Source: building management's published schedule, as of October 2026
Purchase
4 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $700 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicantRequired | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $120 per applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move In Deposit | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
| Move Out Deposit | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
Sublet
2 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $700 | Refundable Not stated |
| Credit Check FeePer applicantRequired | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $120 per person | Refundable Non-refundable |
Refinance
4 items
Management's “less refinance” schedule
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $450 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $120 per applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
Management's “more refinance” schedule
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $450 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $120 per applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
Management updates its schedule without a public filing. The date is when management last updated the page, not when a rule changed. Confirm the current schedule with management before you apply.
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the building's costs and purchase requirements.
Own an apartment here? Request an apartment-specific pricing review.
Financing and purchase requirements
- Maximum financing
- 50% of the purchase priceSource: building management's published schedule, as of October 2026
- Guarantors
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of October 2026
Sublet and pied-à-terre policy
A condominium owner leasing a unit and a co-op shareholder subletting are different rules, and a building-wide rule is different from a restriction on one apartment. This is the building's rule; confirm it for the specific apartment.
- Subletting by shareholders
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of October 2026
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- PermittedSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the sublet and pied-à-terre rules for that apartment.
Pets and in-unit washer/dryer
- Pets
- Pets permitted; species and limits not statedSource: building management's published schedule, as of October 2026
- In-unit washer/dryer
- Not verified
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to confirm the pet and washer/dryer rules for that apartment.
Monthly carrying charges in recent sales
- Maintenance, per room
- $745 per room a monthMedian of 8 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
Maintenance as recorded with each sale. A co-op's maintenance already covers the building's real estate taxes and the building's own mortgage, if it has one; add your own loan payment for the monthly outlay. A summary of recorded sales, not a current bill; charges change.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Full-time doormanSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of City Planning records (PLUTO)
- Amenities noted
- Playroom, bike storage, storage, laundry roomSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent. Outdoor space, parking and some facilities can belong to particular apartments or to a separate owner; confirm access for the specific apartment.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $8,029/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $16
- Modeled exposure split equally across 42 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; co-op shareholders are typically charged by share allocation.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the inspector (QEWI) identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair, with repairs due by the deadline stated in the filing. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Penalties shown are amounts DOB assessed against filings on record across 2005–10 to 2020–25. The FISP dataset does not record whether they were paid, contested or remain open, so treat the figure as history rather than a current balance and confirm the building’s standing with the managing agent.
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 2% of sales price (Seller)
- Sublet policy
- Allowed
- Policies and fees
- App Processing $700; Credit Check $120/applicant; Move-in/Move-out deposit $500 each; Max financing 50%
Recent sales
Recent transfers at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | 8C | 2 BR · 1 BA | $995,000 | -6.6% | |
| Apr 22, 2026 | 2B | 3 BR · 3 BA | $1,690,000 | +2.4% | |
| Feb 19, 2026 | 4A | 2 BR · 2.5 BA | $2,550,000 | +6.5% | |
| Oct 6, 2025 | 3A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,825,000 | +1.4% | |
| Sep 29, 2025 | 6C | 2 BR · 1 BA | $970,000 | -15.7% | |
| Feb 26, 2025 | 3D | 1 BR · 1 BA · 860 sf | $735,000 | $855/sf | +0.0% |
| Nov 6, 2024 | 9A | 2 BR · 2.5 BA | $1,625,000 | -7.1% | |
| Nov 15, 2023 | 2A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,695,000 | +0.0% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2025): a median $855/sf (recorded) across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 2.5% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
Full closing history with price-per-square-foot over time, the complete retrade record, and every line that has traded.
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01510-0030). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price; square footage on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
What would your apartment rent for?
Enter your apartment and I'll send you what it would rent for, from comparable closed leases at 163 E 81st St Corp. and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $1.63M (7 transfers in the past 24 months, since October 31, 2024), a buyer putting 50% down would pay about $28,863 to close, or 1.8% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $16,250
- No mortgage recording tax or title insurance on a co-op purchase
- Attorneys, lender, building fees and filings: $12,613
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage at the building's 50% financing limit.
Keep up with 163 E 81st St Corp. and its market
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What to know if you’re buying
Inspect the specific apartment’s layout, fireplace, exposure and renovation condition, and review reserves and any current assessments.
Confirm the current financing, occupancy and transfer-fee provisions, then prepare the financial records and references required for the board application and interview.
What to know if you’re selling
Provide a floor plan and photographs of the apartment’s actual features, along with the current board requirements relevant to the buyer’s intended use.
Price to the specific home — floor, exposure, layout, fireplace, and condition — and prepare the board package early. Make the flip-tax structure clear to buyers up front (it is paid by the purchaser at closing), since transparency on closing costs keeps a deal on track. A well-positioned apartment here competes effectively in the Carnegie Hill / Yorkville market.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 163 East 81st Street, compare these nearby Upper East Side buildings individually for tenure, vintage and services:
- 140 East 81st Street — full-service pre-war cooperative on the same block
- 133 East 80th Street — classic pre-war side-street co-op
- 151 East 83rd Street — pre-war cooperative in Carnegie Hill
- 140 East 83rd Street — nearby cooperative; compare construction date and services separately
- 175 East 82nd Street — Upper East Side residential comparison a block north; verify ownership structure separately
More Upper East Side buildings
- 161 East 91st Street — 1941 co-op
- 162 East 80th Street — 1926 co-op
- 163 East 60th Street — 1930 co-op
- 164 East 72nd Street — 1925 co-op
- 165 East 62nd Street — new-construction condominium
- 166 East 63rd Street (Beekman Townhouse) — 1958 condominium by Emery Roth
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Upper East Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper East Side.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
Considering a move at 163 E 81st St Corp.?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com