208 St Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10027

The 20-unit, 5-story tenement building at 208 St Nicholas Avenue in Harlem, built in 1910 and currently owned by Christopher Bramwell, has experienced significant maintenance and infrastructure challenges over the past several years. Most notably, in April 2025, there were multiple heat and hot water complaints affecting the entire building, followed by serious issues including water leaks with heavy flow and ceiling plaster problems that resulted in HPD violations. The building has persistent issues with heating and hot water systems, as evidenced by Housing Maintenance Code violations from December 2024, particularly affecting apartment 5B, including inadequate heat, hot water, and cold water supply problems.

The building's infrastructure has been a recurring concern, with multiple Department of Buildings complaints about structural stability, including 2023 reports of building shaking and vibrations. Recent inspections and violations indicate ongoing challenges with building systems and maintenance compliance. There are several active ECB violations from 2024-2025 relating to unpermitted construction work, including unauthorized electrical and plumbing installations in commercial spaces.

The property has an ongoing rodent activity problem, with multiple inspections showing rat activity between 2023 and 2025, though there have been some baiting attempts recorded. The building has received multiple violations for failing to maintain required annual boiler inspections and for various safety compliance issues, including problems with the compactor chute door lock and the need for proper repair of defective radiators. Interestingly, despite these many infrastructure and maintenance issues, the building has maintained a record of no bedbug infestations reported in the past seven years.