255 West 121st Street, Manhattan, NY 10027

The three-story, 11-unit residential building at 255 West 121st Street in Harlem, owned by Joseph Jemal, has faced recurring maintenance challenges since 2023, with particular concerns regarding rodent activity and sanitation issues. Most recently, in 2025, there were documented rodent problems, though inspection results indicated "Other Reasons" for failure when inspected in June 2025. The building has experienced multiple heat and hot water complaints, with an emergency report in February 2025 showing that HPD could not access apartments for inspection.

Between 2023-2024, there were several housing maintenance code violations including multiple unsanitary conditions related to garbage/recycling storage and a fire escape safety concern, though inspections often resulted in no violations being issued. The property has maintained consistent bedbug reporting compliance from 2021-2024, showing no infested units, and while there was a violation issued for failure to file the 2018 external low-pressure inspection in June 2023, the violation's current status is not specified in the data. The building's historical records show a pattern of rodent-related issues, with multiple complaints and inspections between 2023-2025 consistently indicating rat activity.

Significant past violations include multiple issues documented in 2006 regarding Apartment 2, including problems with electrical switch covers, pest control, window repairs, and the need for carbon monoxide detectors, though these were certified as corrected in 2024. The building has also required several rodent inspections throughout 2023-2025, with varying results including both "Rat Activity" and "Passed" inspections. Interestingly, despite the repeated complaints and inspections, many recent complaints from 2023-2024 were closed with no violations issued, suggesting that while issues have been reported, the building may not have been found in violation of specific codes during inspections.