1406 Merriam Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452

1406 Merriam Avenue is a 5-story, 39-unit residential building located in the Highbridge neighborhood, built in 1922 and currently owned by Kobina Arhin. The property has experienced recurring heat and hot water issues, most recently documented in December 2024 with multiple emergency complaints affecting both individual apartments and the entire building. These recent incidents follow a pattern, as similar complaints were also recorded in October 2022 and February 2022.

Additionally, the building has faced challenges with mold and water damage, particularly affecting apartment 1E in 2024, where violations were issued for visible mold, water leaks, and damaged plaster surfaces. The building's infrastructure has shown signs of deterioration, with documented issues including broken fire door locks, window casing damage, and problems with the fire escape system. The property has undergone several inspections and faced multiple violations, including a significant structural concern noted in 2020 regarding vertical and step cracking on walls, particularly at the fifth-floor corner.

The building's elevator system was the subject of multiple complaints in 2019-2020, resulting in penalties. While bedbug and rodent infestations have been relatively well-managed in recent years, with no bedbug cases reported since 2019 and varying rodent activity (most recently passed inspection in January 2025), the building's maintenance history indicates ongoing challenges with basic services and infrastructure. The owner has generally complied with violation resolutions, as evidenced by the "closed" status of most complaints, though the repeated nature of certain issues suggests persistent systemic problems.