1268 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10027

1268 Amsterdam Avenue, a 5-story, 16-unit Old Law Tenement building built in 1901 in Morningside Heights, has experienced several recurring maintenance issues over the past two years, with the most significant problems occurring in late 2023 and early 2024. The building faced multiple heat and hot water failures affecting the entire structure, with numerous complaints filed between November 2023 and March 2024. These issues were documented as emergency situations, though in many cases, housing officials were unable to gain access to apartments for inspection.

A water leak with heavy flow was reported and investigated in November 2023, and the building experienced three separate incidents of electrical power outages in March 2024. More recently, in mid-2024, there were repeated complaints regarding rodent/insect issues in food establishments, and the property has experienced ongoing challenges with rodent activity, as evidenced by multiple compliance inspections showing rat activity between June 2022 and March 2024, though recent inspections in December 2024 and June 2025 passed. The building's regulatory history shows a concerning pattern of heating system violations. In November 2023, violations were recorded including a locked boiler room door preventing access to the heating system and inadequate heat supply to apartment 4A.

Between 2018 and 2020, there were also various violations related to building maintenance, security, and cleanliness, including issues with self-closing doors, wall paint requirements, and janitorial services, all of which have since been closed. The Department of Buildings records show a pending violation from October 2018 regarding the revocation of plumbing permits due to the suspension of a master plumber's license, which remains active as of the last inspection. However, recent rodent inspections in 2024 and 2025 have shown improvement, passing as of June 2025. The property has maintained a clean record for bedbug infestations over the past seven reporting periods from 2018 to 2025, with zero units reported as infested or re-infested.