474 9th Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10018

The five-story, 14-unit Old Law Tenement building at 474 9th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen, owned by Thomas Makkos and built in 1910, has experienced several maintenance and safety issues in recent years. Most notably, from early 2024, there were multiple tenant complaints about various issues including an uninspectable door, plumbing problems in the bathtub/shower and sink, pest infestations, and appliance troubles with both a refrigerator and electric/gas range – though no violations were ultimately issued from these complaints.

The building has undergone significant scrutiny regarding safety systems, particularly in late 2022 when multiple violations were documented in Apartment 2B, including problems with smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, door functionality, and electrical service adequacy. More serious structural concerns were identified in 2020-2021, with several ECB violations related to building wall maintenance, including vertical cracking and stucco deterioration, leading to penalties of up to $12,500. Recent inspections provide some reassurance about current conditions: the building passed its most recent rodent inspection in October 2024, and bedbug reports from 2019 through 2024 show no infestations or eradications recorded.

The property remains under vigilant monitoring, with annual bedbug reports consistently showing zero affected units, though there were some pest-related complaints in early 2024. The building's owners have demonstrated compliance with most regulatory requirements, having resolved numerous violations through proper remediation, including a permit issued in January 2020 for unspecified work. While recent complaints have not resulted in violations, the pattern of maintenance issues, particularly in early 2024, suggests ongoing upkeep challenges in this historic Hell's Kitchen property.