197 Lenox Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10026

The 10-unit, 4-story brownstone at 197 Lenox Avenue in Harlem, built in 1888 and currently owned by Rocky Horsford, has experienced several recurring issues, particularly related to building systems and maintenance. Between late January and early March 2025, there was a notable cluster of complaints regarding heat and hot water outages affecting the entire building, with multiple violations issued by HPD, though many inspections faced access issues. February 2025 also saw violations related to window frames, doors, and an intercom system, with at least one door issue classified as an emergency.

Looking at the broader history of the building, there are persistent concerns regarding maintenance and building systems. A July 2024 inspection revealed multiple open violations, including issues with fire-retardant materials in the 4th story ceiling, building encumbrances, and various maintenance needs in apartment 2B, including water leak issues and broken window components. The building's boiler systems have been a recurring concern, with complaints in 2022-2023, though inspections reportedly found no violations at the time of inspection.

A 2022 ECB violation noted significant deterioration of the brownstone components with a penalty of $6,250, and there are active DOB violations related to failure to file annual inspection reports for both the external low pressure system (2019) and the boiler (2017). The building's rodent inspection record shows some irregularities, with several failures noted in 2025 and 2024, though earlier inspections from 2019-2022 had consistent passing results. While a permit was issued in 2020 for work at the property (job number 140891818), the specific nature of the work is not detailed in the available data.