985 East 174th Street, Bronx, NY 10460

The five-story, 27-unit tenement building at 985 East 174th Street in East Morrisania, owned by Michael Besen, has experienced ongoing maintenance and safety challenges since 2023. Most recently, in February 2025, there was a heat and hot water complaint for the entire building that HPD could not inspect due to access issues, mirroring a similar building-wide heat complaint from December 2023. There have been recurring pest issues, with failed inspection attempts in September and August 2024, and an open pest violation as of September 2024.

Multiple emergency complaints regarding cooking gas were filed between late 2023 and mid-2024, some of which were duplicates of other tenants' complaints. The building's most pressing concerns include multiple open violations from a September 2024 inspection regarding water leaks over the vestibule ceiling, and issues with broken fire escape ladder stops at three locations, though these violations were certified as corrected in January 2025. Notable recent inspections have revealed ongoing rodent activity, with compliance inspections showing rat activity in both July and May 2024.

The building has maintained a consistent record of no bedbug infestations reported between 2020 and 2025, suggesting effective management of this particular pest issue. Historical data shows various maintenance concerns, including a 2023 violation in apartment 3A for inadequate bathroom hot water supply, though this was certified as corrected by January 2024. The building's age (built in 1931) under the New Law Tenement classification is reflected in its recurring infrastructure challenges, particularly regarding building systems like heat, hot water, and cooking gas, which appear to be the most frequent sources of tenant complaints.