444 West 46th Street, Manhattan, NY 10036

444 West 46th Street is a 5-story, 20-unit old law tenement building located in Hell's Kitchen, dating back to 1901 and currently owned by Annette Dire. The building has experienced recurring heating issues in early 2025, with multiple HPD complaints regarding lack of heat/hot water affecting both specific apartments and the entire building, some of which were classified as emergency situations.

The building has also faced ongoing maintenance challenges, particularly in 2024 and 2025, including multiple complaints about unsanitary conditions (pests and garbage/recycling storage), and problems with walls requiring paint/plaster work. Notably, there are significant unresolved violations from 2024 in apartment 3C related to safety equipment (missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors), window repairs, and door issues, as well as open violations in apartment 4A for pest infestation and radiator problems. The building's recent history includes some positive developments, such as consistently passing rodent inspections throughout 2022-2024, and no reported bedbug infestations in the past two years.

However, there was a permit violation regarding an unauthorized fence installation in 2024, which was resolved with no penalties. The property has maintained a relatively stable bedbug history, with infestations reported in only 2 out of 8 annual reporting periods since 2018. Despite these inspections passing, the continuing pattern of heating system failures, particularly in winter months, and the backlog of unresolved maintenance issues in multiple apartments suggests ongoing challenges with building systems and maintenance response times.