162 West 144th Street, Manhattan, NY 10030

162 West 144th Street is a 5-story, 15-unit New Law Tenement building located in Harlem, built in 1920 and currently managed by Sam City Master Tenant LLC. The building has experienced recurring heat and hot water issues over the past year, with eight separate complaints recorded between December 2, 2024, and March 4, 2025, with most recent violations indicating ongoing problems.

The Department of Buildings also recorded a boiler-related issue in December 2024, with violations documented for defective/inoperative equipment requiring an Oath violation appearance. Notably, all these service requests have been classified as emergency situations, highlighting their urgent nature. While some complaints were resolved through HPD inspections and subsequent violations issuance, the pattern of complaints suggests persistent infrastructure challenges, particularly with the building's heating and hot water systems, which have affected both individual apartments and the entire building at various times.

The frequency of complaints is particularly concerning, with multiple complaints on several occasions being recorded as duplicates of building-wide issues, especially during the winter months. For instance, in January 2025 alone, there were multiple heat/hot water complaints (January 1, 14, 21, 22, and 23), indicating a potential systematic failure rather than isolated incidents. The building's 311 and DOB complaint history suggests a pressing need for maintenance and infrastructure improvements, particularly regarding the heating and hot water systems, though the legal frameworks in place provide property owners with time to address violations once issued.