503 West 169th Street, Manhattan, NY 10032

The 24-unit, 6-story New Law Tenement building at 503 West 169th Street in Washington Heights, owned by Joseph Cafiero and built in 1910, has been experiencing significant maintenance challenges throughout 2024-2025. Most concerning are ongoing rodent and sanitation issues, with multiple Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) violations reported in 2025 for unsanitary conditions, including rodent infestation and private property issues.

The building has faced repeated heat and hot water problems, with multiple complaints in Spring 2025 indicating inadequate building-wide systems, and multiple violations noted through Housing Maintenance Code complaints related to mold, pests, and plumbing issues. Recent inspections and complaints reveal a pattern of maintenance deficiencies, including active DOB violations from 2023 for failure to file required external low-pressure inspections, and open Housing Maintenance Code violations from 2024 affecting multiple areas, particularly in Apartment 33. This unit appears to have significant issues including window problems, pest infestations, water leaks, and various required repairs.

The building's environmental controls have also been under scrutiny, with active ECB violations from 2021 related to boiler registration and maintenance issues, for which penalties were imposed. Although the building has maintained a zero-reported bedbug history over the last five years, the ongoing rodent activity (as confirmed by multiple rodent inspections in 2024-2025) and sanitation violations present a continuing challenge for management. The response to various complaints has been inconsistent, with several instances where inspectors were unable to access units for verification, particularly regarding heat and hot water issues.