397 East 155th Street, Bronx, NY 10455

The 12-unit, 4-story brick building at 397 East 155th Street in Melrose, built in 1931 and currently owned by Francisco Valentin, has experienced recurring issues with essential services and sanitation over the past several years. Most notably, there have been multiple emergencies related to heat and hot water outages affecting the entire building, with complaints documented in October 2020, December 2021, and February 2023.

The building has also faced persistent pest problems, including rodent activity in 2023 (with compliance issues noted in March), multiple rodent-related complaints, and evidence of bedbug infestations in 2022 in apartment 2A, though more recent bedbug reports from 2019 through 2024 show no active infestations. Recent inspections in 2024 revealed several maintenance issues, including mold concerns in bathroom 3B (with an open violation), broken plaster surfaces in apartments 2B and 3B, and problems with self-closing doors at the bulkhead. The building is currently facing three active violations from 2023 related to the failure to file external low-pressure inspections for 2020, 2021, and 2022.

While the building has historically passed rodent inspections in 2010, 2011, and 2012, recent years have shown more persistent pest issues. The property has maintained regular bedbug reporting compliance between 2019 and 2024, showing no infestations during these periods. The combination of recurring heating system failures, pest control challenges, and various maintenance issues suggests ongoing building management and maintenance concerns, though many of these violations have been addressed promptly when reported.