609 West 189th Street, Manhattan, NY 10040

The 43-unit, 5-story tenement building at 609 West 189th Street in Washington Heights, owned by Moshe Piller and built in 1924, has experienced multiple maintenance issues in recent months, particularly related to heating and water systems. Most notably, from April to May 2025, there were three separate heat/hot water complaints for the entire building, all of which were eventually resolved according to HPD records. The building has also faced various plumbing and maintenance challenges, including violations related to heavy water flow, bathtub/shower issues, and plaster/paint problems.

The most concerning recent issues emerged in April 2025, when violations were issued for water leaks, ceiling plaster problems, and plumbing issues. The building's maintenance history shows recurring problems with pest control, as evidenced by multiple violations in apartments 3F and 4C in 2024, including infestations of roaches and mice. The property has passed several rodent inspections in the past year, indicating some improvement in this area, though an inspection in August 2024 failed for unspecified reasons.

The building's heating system has been a particular area of concern, with multiple emergency complaints filed through 311 in 2025, though each was closed following HPD verification of corrections. Notably, while the building has maintained a consistent record of zero bedbug infestations over the past several years, the property does have an open Class C violation from September 2024 regarding defective vestibule doors in the public hall of the first story. The building's history includes two attempts to inspect a defective boiler in 2023 and a report of illegal conversion in 2021, though inspectors were unable to gain access in both cases.