238 West 136th Street, Manhattan, NY 10030

The three-story, four-unit building at 238 West 136th Street in Harlem, owned by Joyce Braithwaite and built in 1910, has experienced persistent pest-related issues over recent years. Most notably, in October 2023, two complaints about unsanitary conditions and pests were filed but closed due to HPD's inability to gain access for inspection.

These recent complaints follow a somewhat concerning pattern, as the building has maintained a "Currently Open" violation regarding bedbug report filing requirements since April 2024, with similar violations recorded annually since 2021. The property has also shown documentation of rodent-related issues, with the most recent rodent inspection in April 2025 passing, though there was documented rat activity in March 2025, which represents a departure from the building's historically regular compliance. The building's maintenance history reveals a mix of compliance and violations, with three active violations for failure to file external low pressure inspections in 2020, 2021, and 2022 as of June 2023.

While the building has generally passed most rodent inspections since 2018, the pattern of pest complaints and the bedbug reporting violations suggest ongoing challenges with maintaining pest-free conditions. The property management has submitted bedbug reports showing no infestation periods from 2021-2022, though a previous report from 2019-2020 indicated four infested units, and there appears to be some inconsistency in reporting, given the recently opened bedbug violation. The building's history shows attention to regular rodent inspections, with most recent inspections consistently passing, though the March 2025 activity suggests some ongoing monitoring may be required.