562 West 149th Street, Manhattan, NY 10031

The five-story, 11-unit Old Law Tenement at 562 West 149th Street in Hamilton Heights, owned by Emory Porter and built in 1920, has experienced persistent pest control challenges, particularly with rodents. Most notably, in January 2025, there remains an open complaint regarding unsanitary conditions related to pests, and recent rodent activity has been consistently documented through multiple inspections between 2023 and 2025, with the most recent inspections in February 2025 showing continued rat activity.

The building has also faced several maintenance issues over the past five years, including a heat/hot water complaint in November 2019 that was resolved, and various violations identified in September 2019 affecting Apartment 4W, including problems with plaster surfaces, paint conditions, and window functionality. The property has undergone multiple inspections for rodent activity, with bait application noted in late 2023, though consistent follow-up compliance inspections have shown recurring rat activity throughout 2024 and into 2025. Additionally, the building has open violations related to the annual bedbug reporting requirement according to Housing Maintenance Code (HMC) regulations, with violations recorded from 2019 through 2024.

Historical complaints from 2019 include issues with flooring/stairs, water leaks, and multiple sanitary conditions involving mold and ceiling maintenance, though most of these earlier complaints have been closed. The building's maintenance history shows a pattern of recurring pest-related issues, particularly with rats, despite multiple intervention attempts, as well as various maintenance concerns affecting individual units. The most recent open violations regarding bedbug reporting requirements and ongoing pest control challenges suggest that these issues have not been fully resolved to date.