720 Columbus Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10025

The 16-story residential building at 720 Columbus Avenue in the Upper West Side, built in 1986 and currently owned by Wayne Ngai, has experienced recurring issues with heating systems throughout the building. Between late 2024 and 2025, there were multiple emergency heat/hot water complaints affecting the entire building, with several complaints marked as duplicates. The building has also faced persistent maintenance challenges, including rodent issues, with inspections in 2023 and 2024 showing rat activity, though recent inspections in 2025 passed.

Additional concerns have been documented regarding window frames and doors, with violations recorded in apartments 3C and 11H related to defective self-closing doors, and various public hall maintenance issues noted. Significantly, the building currently has multiple active Department of Buildings violations related to failure to file required high-pressure inspection documentation between 2018-2023, including both internal and external inspections. These violations, while not directly affecting resident safety, indicate potential compliance issues with building maintenance systems. The building has documented bedbug infestations in recent years, with four units reported recently, though these were successfully eradicated.

While most complaints received by the Department of Buildings have been investigated and closed with no violations found, there is a history of building-wide systems requiring attention, particularly regarding heating and water systems, which have resulted in multiple resident complaints over the past two years. The property has maintained compliance with rodent control requirements, passing multiple inspections, and has shown a pattern of addressing bedbug issues promptly through eradication measures. Recent complaints about illegal after-hours work in 2024 and concerns about building vibrations, while investigated, resulted in no violations being found. Records show regular permit activity for various maintenance work, suggesting ongoing efforts to maintain the building's systems, though the pattern of heating system complaints indicates this remains a persistent challenge requiring attention.