516 West 156th Street, Manhattan, NY 10032

The 22-unit residential building at 516 West 156th Street in Washington Heights, owned by David Eshaghoff, has experienced notable maintenance challenges in recent months. Most pressing are the recurring water leak issues, with four separate complaints about slow leaks filed in May 2025, though Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) was unable to issue violations as they couldn't access the affected rooms. Earlier in 2025, the building underwent a significant heat/hot water crisis in April, with multiple emergency complaints from tenants about lack of heat and hot water throughout the entire building. While some complaints were marked as duplicates, at least one resulted in a violation due to inadequate heat or hot water confirmed through apartment inspections.

The building has also faced various maintenance issues in recent years, including multiple Housing Maintenance Code violations identified in late 2024, such as defective fire doors to the boiler room, hot water temperature issues, and various repairs needed in Apartment 1 (including plaster repairs, carbon monoxide detector issues, and visible mold). Inspection records show a pattern of inspection responses, though many complaints were closed with minimal findings. The building's infrastructure maintenance appears to be an ongoing concern, with complaints dating back to 2019 about work being done without proper permits, though inspections in response to these complaints found no violations at the time. Notably, the building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations over the past five years, with consistent reports showing zero infested units.

Recent rodent inspections in 2023 and 2024 passed successfully, though there was one instance of rat activity noted during a 2022 inspection. The property, a 5-story New Law Tenement built in 1952, has a mixed record of property maintenance, with recent water leak issues and previous heating system challenges being the most significant current concerns. While past violations and complaints suggest some persistent maintenance challenges, the absence of bedbug infestations and successful rodent control inspections indicate some positive aspects of building management. The ownership and management by David Eshaghoff is marked by a pattern of addressing various maintenance issues, though the recent cluster of water-related complaints suggests ongoing plumbing or water system challenges may need continued attention.