1270 St Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10033

The 6-story, 43-unit tenement building at 1270 St Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights, owned by Rubin Pikus and constructed in 1910, has experienced recurring maintenance issues over the past few years. Most notably, there have been multiple building-wide heat and hot water complaints reported in January 2025, with HPD unable to gain access for inspections. These heating issues appear to be part of a broader pattern, as similar complaints were documented throughout 2024.

Other significant recent concerns include a heavy water leak reported in November 2024 (closed after inspection), and multiple repairs needed in June 2024 related to walls, mold, door frames, and various sanitary conditions, which were subsequently corrected according to HPD. The building has maintained a clean bedbug record in recent years, with no reported infestations from 2019-2024. The property has faced notable elevator and safety issues, particularly between 2020-2021, when multiple violations were issued regarding the single elevator device with no alternate service and concerns about door operation speed, oil leakage, and safety monitoring features.

Recent inspections have shown persistent rodent activity, with multiple reports of rat presence between 2022 and 2025, though the most recent February 2025 inspection indicated bait application. The building is currently facing two active ECB violations from 2024 - one for an expired sidewalk shed permit and another for failure to submit required critical examination reports of exterior walls. While the owner has addressed many violations promptly, as evidenced by multiple "closed" statuses on code violations, the recurring nature of heating issues and ongoing rodent activity suggests ongoing maintenance challenges.