438 West 49th Street, Manhattan, NY 10019

438 West 49th Street is a 5-story, 20-unit Old Law Tenement building located in Hell's Kitchen, constructed in 1910 and currently owned by Anthony Staub. The building has experienced several significant maintenance issues over the past decade, most notably a heat and hot water emergency in August 2019, which required HPD intervention to resolve. There were multiple violations identified in 2018 regarding building security systems, including the use of an illegal electromagnetic locking device at the entrance, though these violations were certified as resolved in 2023.

The building has also faced compliance issues with safety documentation requirements, including the proper posting of smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector requirements, as well as an outdated certificate of inspection placement near mailboxes, with these violations being certified as resolved in 2023. More recent concerns include an active violation from November 2019 regarding the failure to file the 2017 boiler inspection report, which remains unresolved as of now. However, the building has maintained a good record in terms of pest and rodent management, with no reported bedbug infestations in the past six years (2019-2024) and consistent passing of rodent inspections annually between 2017 and 2025.

These inspections have shown regular compliance with health and safety standards, indicating successful pest management and rodent control measures in place. The elevator-related complaint from late 2018 was closed due to insufficient information, and while there was a heat/hot water issue in 2019, it appears to have been resolved, given no recurring complaints in this category since then. The building's maintenance record shows both historical challenges and improvements, with many older violations being addressed and resolved, while a few more recent issues remain pending attention.