552 West 185th Street, Manhattan, NY 10033

552 West 185th Street is a 5-story, 20-unit New Law tenement building in Washington Heights, constructed in 1920 and currently owned by Robert Raphael. The property has experienced ongoing pest management challenges, with multiple unsanitary conditions reported through 311 service requests and Housing Maintenance Code Complaints in 2025, particularly in recent months (April-May 2025).

These complaints have primarily focused on pest issues, though other concerns have been documented including problems with garbage/recycling storage, plumbing (toilet), and various conditions that HPD inspections found did not violate housing laws. The building currently has several open violations from 2024, including issues with gas supply to kitchen fixtures in Apartment 1, broken doors at the vestibule hallway to public hall, security concerns with the building entrance door lock, and maintenance issues in common areas such as the public hall ceiling on the 3rd story. The property has a documented history of rodent activity, with multiple compliance inspections showing rat activity between June 2024 and January 2025, though addressing these issues through bait applications.

While the building has maintained a "0" count for bedbug infestations in recent annual reports from 2021 through 2024, the persistent pest complaints in 2025, combined with the rodent activity, suggest ongoing challenges with maintaining a fully sanitary environment. Several tenant-reported conditions remain open as of 2025, with HPD indicating the need for property owner access to address these issues, while others have been inspected but found not to violate housing laws. The building's maintenance history reveals a range of issues requiring attention, particularly regarding water leaks, window repairs, and general upkeep of both individual units and common areas.