555 West 156th Street, Manhattan, NY 10032

The 6-story, 61-unit building at 555 West 156th Street in Washington Heights, built in 1928 and currently owned by Mark Scharfman, has experienced recurring maintenance issues over the past several years, particularly with water supply and heating systems. As of June 2025, there are active complaints regarding water supply issues, and since late 2024, there have been multiple complaints about heating and hot water problems that were either improperly investigated or resulted in closures without proper resolution verification.

The building has a noticeable pattern of plumbing and heating-related service requests, with similar issues recurring in different reporting periods. Recent inspections and service requests indicate ongoing challenges with building maintenance and resident comfort, including an active HVAC-related complaint as of March 2025 regarding elevator service. The property has also faced security and safety issues, including a 2024 finding of missing window guards in Apartment 3A, various door and lock problems in multiple units, and pest control challenges including a 2022 rodent infestation incident in Apartment 3D.

While there have been some recent improvements noted in rodent control, as evidenced by passing inspections in late 2023 and September 2024, the building continues to face challenges with basic systems maintenance, as evidenced by the current open water supply complaints. The property has experienced periodic bedbug infestations, with the most recent reporting period (2023-2024) showing zero infestations, though previous periods showed isolated incidents in Apartments 1A and 3D. Additionally, there appears to be an unresolved issue regarding improperly supported window A/C units on floors 2, 3, and 5, which was noted in a September 2023 violation with an imposed penalty.