356 East 152nd Street, Bronx, NY 10455

The 5-story, 13-unit building at 356 East 152nd Street in Melrose, owned by Joseph Zitolo and built in 1920, has experienced persistent maintenance challenges in recent years. Most notably, there has been a recurring pattern of heating and hot water issues, with building-wide complaints filed in both 2023 and 2025.

The building has also faced significant pest control challenges, with documented mouse infestations in multiple apartments (4B and 5C) in June 2023, followed by multiple rat activity incidents throughout 2023 and 2021, as evidenced by multiple bait application records. Recent violations from February 2024 required repairs to the vestibule's east wall related to paint and fire retardant materials. The property has demonstrated some responsiveness to maintenance issues, with multiple complaints being resolved or closed through HPD inspections, though not all resulted in violations.

For example, a door/window complaint and a mold-related complaint in February 2025 required inspection but did not result in violations, while a cabinet-related complaint did lead to violations that required correction. Building inspections in 2023 revealed several maintenance issues requiring attention, including problems with bathroom fixtures in apartments 3B and 4B, a defective fire escape component, and concerns about carbon monoxide detectors. The building's historical records show no bedbug infestations reported since 2019, and the property has maintained regular compliance inspections, though rodent activity has been a recurring issue based on multiple inspection results.