517 West 144th Street, Manhattan, NY 10031

517 West 144th Street is a five-story, 20-unit New Law Tenement building constructed in 1880, currently owned by Karen Sbaschnig. The building has experienced various maintenance and safety issues in recent years, with the most significant violations occurring in 2024. These included problems with self-closing doors in the boiler room and bulkhead areas, defective smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detection devices in apartments 7 and 11, and a safety concern regarding an obstructing handrail on the fire escape.

A rodent sighting was reported in May 2024, resulting in violations that prompted follow-up inspections. Between 2023 and 2025, the building underwent multiple rodent inspections, with a mix of passing and failing results, indicating ongoing pest management challenges. The property has maintained a consistent track record of bedbug-free status in recent years, with official reports showing no infested units from 2021 through 2025, though there was one recorded case in 2019-2020.

A heating system permit was issued in June 2020, and there were two Department of Buildings complaints filed in July 2024, one regarding general maintenance and another about a retaining wall safety inspection, though no violations were confirmed upon inspection. The building's overall maintenance history shows a pattern of addressing various code violations, with most being issued in March 2024 and subsequently certified as closed by March 20, 2024. While some safety concerns have been persistent, particularly relating to door mechanisms and detection systems, the building has demonstrated efforts to maintain compliance with city regulations, as evidenced by numerous passing rodent inspections and regular bedbug reporting.