56 Ft Washington Avenue
This building has a severe track record, and our model predicts major ongoing maintenance failures.
This building has 234 recorded HPD violations, above the Washington Heights average of 100.7.
Is 56 Ft Washington Avenue rent-stabilized?
Rent stabilization caps how much your rent can rise and protects your right to renew. Here's how this building scores on the four signals that usually point to it.
Based on public NYC records. Not legal advice — verify with the DHCR (Division of Housing and Community Renewal) at apps.hcr.ny.gov.
The 42-unit, 6-story building at 56 Fort Washington Avenue in Washington Heights, constructed in 1915 and currently owned by Joseph Fessel, has experienced numerous maintenance and safety issues over recent years. Most significantly, there are ongoing concerns regarding building maintenance as evidenced by multiple HPD inspections in March 2025 that resulted in violations for window frames, wall and ceiling conditions, and water leaks. A series of complaints from 2025 regarding heat and hot water issues, along with documented water leaks and paint/plaster problems, indicate continuing maintenance challenges. The elevator system has been a recurring issue, with multiple complaints from 2020 through 2025 showcasing problems with service continuity and safety features, including inoperable door zone restrictors and defective buttons, resulting in significant ECB violations and penalties.
How 56 Ft Washington Avenue's risk score is calculated
We trained a model on 7 years of city inspection data — HPD violation filings, tenant complaints, and owner track records across their entire portfolio. It estimates the probability that HPD inspectors will find serious or dangerous violations at this address in the next 12 months. Lower % = safer.
What the score means for you
Out of 1273 buildings in this neighborhood, 229 have a higher predicted risk.
violations
(1–9)
(10+)
What's driving this score
These are the three data points that most influenced this building's score — ranked by how much weight the model placed on each one.
Don't stop here — this is just the surface.
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What's in the 56 Ft Washington Avenue report
| Total units | 43 |
|---|---|
| Floors | 6 |
| Year built | 1915 |
| Gross area | 55,302 sq ft |
| Building class | — |
| Tax abatement | None |
Violations & complaints per year — solid line is historical record, dashed line is AI projection.
Included addresses
All street addresses that share this building's BBL and are covered by this report.
56 Ft Washington Avenue's landlord & ownership
The people and companies registered to this building, the other properties they run, and their court record. A landlord's wider portfolio is often the best predictor of how your building will be treated.
Registered contact for this building.
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Other properties owned.
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56 Ft Washington Avenue event timeline
Violations, complaints, fines, and permits — the most recent records on file, in order.
See all 21 events
Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, bedbug filings, and more.
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30+ public city datasets for this address — searchable and sortable.
What this is
Housing code violations issued by HPD against property conditions. Non-compliance with NYC's Housing Maintenance Code can result in violations and fines.
| Inspection Date | Class | Category | Description | Status |
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What this is
Complaints filed with HPD about conditions violating the NYC Housing Maintenance Code or NY State Multiple Dwelling Law.
| Received | Category | Type | Status | Apartment |
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What this is
Service requests logged daily with the city through 311 and tracked to resolution. These are complaints that can be directed to specific city agencies.
| Created Date | Problem | Problem Detail | Agency Name | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
All complaints received by the Department of Buildings, including those from 311 and complaints entered directly by DOB staff.
| Filed | Number | Status | Category | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Civil penalties and violation notices issued by the Department of Buildings for construction and building code violations.
| Issue Date | Category | Type | Description | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Summonses and penalties adjudicated by OATH (Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings) and the Environmental Control Board. DOB enforcement cases that have been heard and decided.
| Issue Date | Violation # | Status | Description | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Executed eviction warrants in NYC from 2017-present. Records of completed residential and commercial evictions processed through housing court.
| Executed Date | Docket # | Apartment | Type | Marshal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Recorded real estate transactions and property sales. Public records of building transfers and changes in ownership.
| Sale Date | Price | Building Class | Neighborhood | Apartment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Property owner reports of bedbug infestation status required by NYC law. Building owners must file annual reports on bedbug treatment and infestation history.
| Filing Date | Infested Units | Eradicated | Re-infested | Period End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene rodent inspection results. Records of inspections for rat and rodent infestation signs.
| Inspection Date | Type | Result |
|---|---|---|
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Unlock full reportWhat this is
Construction and demolition permits issued by the Department of Buildings. Required for legal building, construction, and demolition activities in NYC.
| Filing Date | Type | Work | Floor | Description | Status | Issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Electrical Permits requires a full report
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Unlock full reportHow 56 Ft Washington Avenue compares to the neighborhood
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