540 West 144th Street, Manhattan, NY 10031

540 West 144th Street is a 6-story, 30-unit New Law Tenement building constructed in 1910, currently owned by Sharay Louden. The property has experienced recurring maintenance issues over the past several years, with the most recent significant problems involving heat and hot water outages in October 2024 affecting the entire building, though inspectors were unable to gain access to verify the conditions.

The building has a notable history of water-related issues, with multiple complaints recorded between 2020 and 2024, including incidents of heavy flow and slow leaks in 2023 and 2022, some of which resulted in code violations. Additionally, there have been persistent infrastructure concerns, as evidenced by several open violations from 2024, including required repairs to fire retardant materials and roof maintenance on the 5th and 6th stories, along with a documented roach infestation in Apartment 5 that was addressed in November 2024. The building's safety systems have been subject to testing and inspections, with recent rodent inspections between 2022 and 2025 consistently showing passing results, indicating effective pest control measures.

Notably, the property has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations over the past several years, with no reported cases from 2019 through 2025. The Department of Buildings issued permits in 2018 for electrical work, including panel replacement and associated electrical modifications, suggesting some infrastructure upgrades were completed at that time. While the building has demonstrated compliance with various health and safety inspections, the recurring nature of heat, water, and infrastructure issues suggests ongoing maintenance challenges.