164 East 61st Street, Manhattan, NY 10065

This 4-story, 6-unit residential tenement building at 164 East 61st Street, built in 1920 and owned by Alyssa Wilk, has experienced persistent rodent-related issues throughout recent years, with multiple confirmed rat sightings and pest complaints recorded between 2019 and 2025. Most notably, in 2025, both the initial and subsequent compliance inspections in February and March confirmed continued rat activity, with violations noted by both the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). The building's rodent history indicates a recurring pest management challenge, with approximately half of the inspections showing continued rodent activity despite some passing inspections.

In addition to pest concerns, the property has faced various compliance issues, including multiple emergency complaints regarding heat and hot water in 2022, and a series of Department of Buildings (DOB) violations in 2023-2024 related to certificate of occupancy, illegal residential conversions, and unpermitted physical treatment establishment use during that period. The building's exterior maintenance has also been a concern, with multiple violations for failure to file required low-pressure inspection reports between 2018-2023, though these were subsequently dismissed. The most recent bedbug inspection reports from 2022-2023 show no confirmed cases, and the property has maintained active compliance with bedbug reporting requirements, though previous violations for not filing annual reports were noted in 2021-2022.

While some structural and safety violations have been recorded, the building has passed regular rodent inspections as of August 2024, suggesting some mitigation has occurred, though recent 2025 inspections indicate this remains an ongoing issue. The significant volume of complaints and violations, particularly regarding pests and occupancy concerns, highlights persistent management challenges at this property, though recent inspection results show some improvements in rodent control efforts. The building's nearly full compliance with bedbug reporting requirements and lack of recent heat/hot water complaints since 2022 suggests some attention has been paid to these specific issues, though the recurring nature of the rodent complaints indicates this remains a significant area of concern.