517 West 158th Street, Manhattan, NY 10032

517 West 158th Street is a three-story, eight-unit residential building in Washington Heights, owned by Murtajur Rahman and constructed in 1920. The property has experienced consistent regulatory challenges over recent years, most notably with recurring Open violations related to the failure to file annual bedbug reports from 2021 through 2024. In addition, there are numerous active Department of Buildings (DOB) violations regarding the failure to file external low-pressure inspections from 2018 through 2023, and one from 2020 related to boiler inspection reporting.

The building was previously active in construction activities that drew significant attention in 2023, particularly during a period of unpermitted work and multiple safety violations. This included illegal excavation of the rear yard, unsafe work conditions, and failure to maintain proper job site safety measures, resulting in several Environmental Control Board (ECB) violations with substantial penalties. While most of these construction-related issues have been resolved, one ECB violation from March 2023 regarding unsafe storage of combustible materials remains active with a balance due.

The building has maintained good rodent control compliance, passing all required inspections from 2014 through 2024, with the most recent inspection in October 2024 showing no violations. A notable incident occurred in 2020 involving a rat sighting, though it was resolved quickly with only minor violations noted. Though there have been multiple safety-related complaints throughout 2023 concerning construction activities and site conditions, inspections generally found no violations warranting enforcement action at that time. The building's historical record shows regular compliance with most basic housing maintenance requirements, though the persistent bedbug report violation stands out as a consistent compliance issue over the past several years.