551 West 160th Street, Manhattan, NY 10032

551 West 160th Street is a 5-story, 20-unit tenement building in Washington Heights, built in 1907 and currently owned by Fernando Vasquez. The property has experienced recurring maintenance issues that warrant attention, particularly recent complaints in May 2025 regarding water leaks and wall conditions, both of which remain unresolved.

There have been two instances of building-wide heat and hot water issues reported in late 2024 and early 2025, though HPD was unable to gain access for inspection in both cases. The building's history shows significant concerns with window maintenance, as evidenced by violations in 2018-2022 involving defective window frames and panes in Apartment 2B, and window-related issues in Apartment 1C noted in 2022 that remain open as of 2024.

The property has faced challenges with rodent control, particularly evident in 2023 when inspections revealed rat activity in July and December, though more recent inspections in 2024 showed compliance. While the building's management has generally addressed major maintenance issues, as indicated by multiple closed violations and complaints, there is currently an active violation related to the failure to file the 2018 external low pressure inspection, issued in June 2023. Notably, the building has maintained a relatively clean record regarding bedbug infestations since 2019, with no reported cases in the last five filing periods from 2019 to 2024, suggesting effective pest management protocols have been implemented.