644 West 185th Street, Manhattan, NY 10033

644 West 185th Street is a 6-story, 49-unit New Law tenement building constructed in 1940 and currently owned by Erizon Pena. The building has experienced recurring maintenance issues over the past three years, with a significant cluster of complaints in September 2023 involving multiple plumbing issues (bathtub/shower problems), pest infestations, window frame concerns, wall paint issues, and both emergency and non-emergency plumbing problems. More recently, in November 2024, there was a refrigerator-related complaint that HPD could not inspect.

In 2022, there were complaints about water leaks and mold, though no violations were issued in these cases. The building has faced several notable violations and maintenance challenges regarding safety features and elevator systems. In May 2024, violations were issued regarding multiple self-closing door issues throughout the building, including problems with doors in apartments 3C, 5D, and 6A, as well as concerns about the roof bulkhead doors. Additionally, there were violations related to fire escape maintenance and an abandoned refrigerator in the public hall that required removal.

The elevator system has been a particular area of concern, with multiple complaints between 2020-2021 regarding single device service and safety features, leading to ECB violations for work done without proper permits and various safety-related issues, including the need for door lock monitoring installation. The building's recent history shows consistent compliance with rodent inspections, passing all inspections from 2014 through 2024, and maintaining a clean record regarding bedbug infestations, with all recent filings showing zero affected units. While the building has had various maintenance issues requiring attention, it's worth noting that many complaints have been resolved without resulting in formal violations. The property has successfully addressed several major safety-related violations, including those regarding gas utility systems and elevator safety features, though some historical violations related to elevator service and fire safety systems appear to have recurred over time.