517 West 159th Street, Manhattan, NY 10032

517 West 159th Street is a 5-story, 20-unit New Law Tenement building located in Washington Heights, owned by 515 New Life Hdfc and constructed in 1920. The building has experienced several maintenance issues in recent years, most notably regarding heating and hot water systems, with multiple complaints filed between January and February 2025, though HPD inspections verified that these conditions were corrected. Since then, there have been additional complaints in 2025 regarding various maintenance issues including flooring, ceiling, door, and appliance problems, all of which were closed without violations being issued.

The building shows a pattern of maintenance challenges, particularly in Apartment 32, which has open violations as of October 2024 for multiple issues including water leaks, defective ventilation, flooring problems, and various repair needs. Apartment 42 has both open and closed violations from late 2024, including issues with paint and plumbing. The property has undergone several rodent inspections, with the most recent in October 2024 passing successfully, following previous inspections in 2023 also passing.

Historical data shows some rat activity in mid-2022, but generally passing inspections in the years since. Notably, the building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug reports, with no infestations reported in the last six annual filings between 2018 and 2024. Recent maintenance issues, including those reported in June 2025, have covered various aspects of building maintenance such as flooring/stairs, plumbing, and appliance concerns, though most were classified as non-emergency issues. The building's long history of complaints and violations suggests ongoing maintenance challenges, though many recent issues have been addressed promptly based on HPD's inspection results.