256 West 135th Street, Manhattan, NY 10030

The 4-story, 8-unit residential building at 256 West 135th Street in Harlem, owned by Maurice Kohan, has experienced recurring rodent issues in recent months, with eight rat sighting complaints filed between late April and mid-May 2025. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has investigated these complaints, and while some were closed due to prior complaints, the building did receive a compliance inspection on May 14, 2025, that passed.

Housing Maintenance Code complaints from spring 2025 indicate concerns about unsanitary conditions related to garbage and recycling storage, though HPD inspections found no violations of housing laws. The building has two open Class B violations from July 2023 regarding the need for additional sprinkler heads and a secure shoe on the fire escape ladder, and there was a missed 2018 external low pressure inspection that became an active violation in June 2023. The property has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations, with all six annual filings since 2019 reporting zero infested units.

Safety system maintenance issues have been documented, including a July 2023 violation for defective smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in apartment 2R, which were certified as corrected by August 2023. Other maintenance history shows occasional issues with lighting and heating systems, as well as multiple sanitary condition complaints over the past few years. While recent rodent activity has been a notable concern, historical rodent inspections since 2019 show mostly passing results, suggesting some stability in pest control efforts prior to the recent surge in complaints.