1534 St Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10033

1534 St. Nicholas Avenue is a 5-story, 28-unit residential building located in Washington Heights, constructed in 1922 and currently owned by Bahram Hakakian. The building has experienced recurring issues with heat and hot water, particularly during the 2024-2025 heating season, with multiple emergency complaints filed in November 2024 and October 2024, some of which remained unresolved due to inspection access issues.

The property has also faced several maintenance challenges, including a significant cluster of HPD complaints and violations in late 2023 and early 2024 involving a water leak, ceiling issues, and problems with safety equipment in Apartment 42, such as faulty smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The building underwent multiple tenant safety inspections in early 2023, with no violations found, though there were previous concerns about air conditioning unit placement obstructing fire escape egress in July 2023. While the building has demonstrated compliance with bedbug reporting requirements with no infestations reported from 2019-2025, recent rodent activity has been documented, with inspections showing both rat activity and the application of bait between 2023 and 2024. The property has maintained a record of addressing violations, as evidenced by the certification dates for various repair orders, including window handle replacements and ceiling repairs.

The building's maintenance history reveals ongoing challenges with basic services and infrastructure, particularly regarding the heating system, which has generated numerous emergency complaints. The property has shown some responsiveness to regulatory requirements, such as the completion of tenant safety inspections and the submission of required documentation for violations. The most recent building data through 2024 shows a continuing pattern of heat-related issues, with multiple open and closed complaints regarding heating and hot water problems, particularly during the winter months. Building systems and maintenance issues appear to be addressed though often require multiple complaints before resolution, as evidenced by the pattern of repeated complaints and subsequent inspections.