1620 St Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10040

The 28-unit, 5-story New Law Tenement building at 1620 St Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights, owned by Nelson Lopez, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over the past few years. Most notably, there are currently open violations from a September 2024 inspection regarding fire safety concerns, including defective self-closing doors in the building's 1st public hall and vestibule, as well as issues with fire retardant material and inadequate lighting. The property has a documented history of heat and hot water outages, with complaints in 2023 and 2021, though these were reportedly resolved.

Recent maintenance issues include mold, ceiling problems, and various repairs needed to doors, floors, and walls, with multiple complaints filed in 2024. A concerning event occurred in July 2023 when a portion of the restaurant's ceiling collapsed, resulting in a vacate order that was later rescinded. While the building has maintained a clean record in terms of bedbug infestations over the past several years (with zero reported cases from 2017-2025), it has faced challenges with rodent control.

Inspections show a mix of passed and failed results, notably failing an inspection for "Other Reasons" in September 2024 and noting rat activity in January 2024 and October 2023. The property also has outstanding violations related to energy efficiency reporting requirements from 2019-2021, and there was a 2018 smoking violation that appears to have been addressed. Regular inspections and service requests indicate ongoing maintenance needs, though many recent complaints have been resolved through HPD intervention.