448 West 55th Street, Manhattan, NY 10019

The 5-story, 20-unit residential building at 448 West 55th Street in Hell's Kitchen, constructed in 1910 and currently owned by Yine Acosta, has experienced several significant maintenance issues in recent years. Most notably, there was a troubling pattern of heating and hot water system failures in late 2024 and early 2025, with multiple complaints and emergency responses from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) concerning both apartment-specific and building-wide outages. The building has also faced ongoing plumbing challenges, including radiator and steam pipe issues, with the most recent complaints being filed in early 2025.

There are currently three open complaints related to interior conditions as of December 2024 concerning paint/plaster issues in ceilings and walls, and a door problem, though the exact nature of these issues is not specified in the records. The building's history includes multiple serious violations related to unauthorized uses and safety concerns between 2018 and 2024, including the illegal conversion of apartment spaces for commercial purposes, failure to maintain proper means of egress, lack of required sprinkler systems, and inadequate fire alarm systems for purported transient use. These violations, primarily centered around apartment 3B and a portion of 1A, were all resolved with various penalties, suggesting past issues with unauthorized short-term rental operations. While there have been documented rodent inspections from 2011 to 2024 that consistently passed, the building's recent maintenance history raises concerns about the reliability of basic services.

Notably, the building appears to have maintained a pest-free environment in terms of bedbug infestations over the past three filing periods from 2021 to 2024, with only one previous incident in 2020 that was promptly resolved. The property has undergone numerous housing maintenance code inspections, particularly in late 2024 when multiple violations were noted, primarily focused on heating/hot water systems and general building maintenance. The building's current and recent history suggests a pattern of infrastructure challenges, particularly regarding heating and water systems, while also showing periods of significant regulatory scrutiny regarding unauthorized commercial use of residential spaces. The consistent passing of rodent inspections and recent bedbug reports suggest that while the building has persistent maintenance issues, it has maintained reasonable standards of pest control.