550 West 153rd Street, Manhattan, NY 10031

The 5-story, 19-unit New Law Tenement building at 550 West 153rd Street in Hamilton Heights, owned by Reyna Toribio and built in 1900, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues in recent years. Most notably, there have been recurring heating system problems, with two separate heating complaints reported in October 2023 (one as an emergency), and a previous building-wide heating issue in May 2022.

The building also faces safety concerns, particularly in apartment 44, where violations were issued in February 2023 for missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as window guard issues and pest infestation (specifically roaches). These violations remain open as of the latest inspection records, though some were certified as corrected in March 2023. The building's maintenance history reveals several quality-of-life issues, including multiple complaints about paint/plaster conditions and electrical problems in December 2022, though no violations were ultimately issued.

The property has undergone regular rodent inspections, with multiple bait applications in 2023, and while initial inspections in early 2024 showed passing results, there were indications of rat activity in mid-2023. Importantly, the building has maintained a consistent record of no reported bedbug infestations since 2019, with all annual reports showing zero infested or re-infested units. While many past violations from 2018-2019 related to public areas (such as hallways) were successfully resolved, the current focus appears to be on addressing ongoing safety and maintenance issues within individual units, particularly in apartment 44, while also managing periodic heating system failures that affect resident comfort.