1697 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10031

The 16-unit, 5-story tenement building at 1697 Amsterdam Avenue in Hamilton Heights, built in 1897 and currently owned by Scott Berman, has experienced several significant maintenance issues in recent years. Between 2023 and 2024, there were multiple reports of water leaks, with at least six complaints documented through 311 Service Requests, including instances of heavy flow and slow leaks. The building received particular scrutiny in May 2024, when violations were issued for several safety concerns in Apartment 43, including missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a defective window pane, and water leak issues in the bathroom.

The building has also shown troubling patterns of maintenance issues, including repeated complaints about paint and plaster problems, particularly in ceilings and walls, and general maintenance concerns like mailbox repairs. More concerning is the building's record of water-related issues, with multiple emergency complaints filed between 2023 and 2024, though inspections sometimes resulted in no violations being issued. The property has active violations related to failure to complete required external low pressure inspections from 2018-2021, which remain unresolved as of 2023. While the building has passed recent rodent inspections (June 2025 and December 2024), there were documented rat activity concerns in 2023-2024, though these were addressed through baiting efforts.

On a more positive note, the building appears to have maintained a pest-free environment in recent years, with no bedbug reports filed since 2018, when there was only one infested unit that was reportedly eradicated. The building's history includes a 2018 illegal conversion violation regarding unauthorized room modifications in Apartment 33, though this was resolved with no penalties. While the property has had multiple maintenance issues requiring attention, many have been addressed through the violation certification process, suggesting remediation efforts have been generally followed. It's worth noting that several water-related complaints from 2023-2024 were not able to be inspected due to access issues, and multiple inspections have required multiple attempts to gain access.