303 East 158th Street, Bronx, NY 10451

At 303 East 158th Street in Melrose, a 5-story building constructed in 2005 with 167 units, recent months have shown persistent maintenance challenges. Most notably, in June 2025, there were multiple complaints regarding various building systems and conditions, including heating and hot water issues, appliance problems (refrigerator, electric/gas range), and unsanitary conditions (pests, mold) - though HPD was unable to complete inspections for many of these. There was also a significant heat and hot water outage reported in June 2025, requiring HPD intervention. The building's elevator system has been a recurrent concern, with multiple complaints about single device operation and no alternate service in 2024-2025, resulting in violations and penalties.

The property has documented maintenance violations across multiple systems and features. In December 2024, violations were found regarding mold, defective plaster surfaces, and pest infestations in apartments 1E and 3B. Building systems inspections revealed ongoing issues with gas lines and ventilation in the laundry room, particularly noted in violation notices from 2023-2024. The building has experienced intermittent bedbug problems, with infestations reported in 2022 and 2023, though records indicate some units were successfully treated. Rodent activity has been consistently monitored, with multiple inspections in 2024-2025 showing rat activity and the application of bait.

Recent housing maintenance code violations include issues with the smoke detector and ceiling conditions, though some violations from December 2024 were subsequently certified as corrected. The building has a history of numerous service requests and violations that suggest ongoing maintenance and habitability challenges, particularly in relation to building systems (elevator, heating, plumbing), pest control, and general maintenance. While some violations have been resolved or certified as corrected, new issues continue to arise, as evidenced by the cluster of complaints and service requests in mid-2025. The property management, under Peter Fine, has faced scrutiny for delayed response times and incomplete resolutions, particularly for unsanitary conditions and major building systems. The elevator system has been a particularly persistent area of concern, with multiple violations and enforcement actions taken from 2021 through 2025, including penalties for various operational issues.