1681 1st Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10128

The four-story, 12-unit Old Law Tenement building at 1681 1st Avenue, owned by Jake Demosthenous, has experienced persistent heating and hot water issues over the past two years. Most recently, in April 2025 alone, there were four heat/hot water complaints, including one affecting the entire building. During 2024, there were multiple similar complaints, with several requiring inspections that were hampered by access issues.

The building is currently facing open Housing Maintenance Code violations from November 2024 related to apartment 2B, including problems with the smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, and defective plastered surfaces. There is also an open violation concerning lack of access to the building's heating system in the cellar boiler room. The property has a history of heating system access issues, with a notable pattern of multiple violations and complaints regarding inadequate heat and hot water supply, particularly affecting apartment 3A in December 2022.

Additional concerns include a potentially serious electrical work violation from November 2022, with $4,000 in penalties related to unauthorized electrical work in apartment 3B. The building has undergone regular rodent control measures in 2024-2025, with multiple bait applications recorded. However, there have been no bedbug infestations reported in the past five years, with the most recent reports (2023-2024) showing zero infested, eradicated, or re-infested units. While the building's heating system problems have been persistent, and there are several open violations, it's worth noting that many complaints have been marked as resolved or requiring new complaints for ongoing issues, suggesting some level of responsiveness from management, though access issues for inspections have been a recurring theme.