1715 Watson Avenue, Bronx, NY 10472

The 2-family house at 1715 Watson Avenue in Soundview, owned by Weilian Jo and built in 1955, has experienced several significant maintenance and compliance issues over the past decade. Most recently, in March 2024, there was a complaint about unsanitary conditions related to pests, though HPD's inspection found no violations. The building has faced persistent rodent issues, with rat activity recorded in multiple inspections between 2018 and 2022, including two inspections in 2022 that both showed rat activity.

In early 2018, a series of violations were issued that highlighted various maintenance problems, particularly affecting the building's first floor and boiler room, including water leaks, defective fire retardant materials, and issues with plastered surfaces. These violations also noted significant problems in the third-story apartment (Apartment 3) regarding inadequate hot and cold water supply and heating issues, though all violations from this period were eventually closed. The building's maintenance history reveals recurring concerns with both interior and exterior conditions, including multiple violations regarding the front garage door, broken windows, and issues with gutters between 2018 and 2019.

The Department of Buildings issued several violations in 2019 regarding the failure to certify corrections for immediately hazardous conditions, though these were later dismissed. A permit for work was issued in August 2019, indicating some level of maintenance activity. The property has undergone regular rodent inspections, with varying results ranging from passed to failed inspections, suggesting ongoing challenges with pest control. While many historical violations have been resolved, the frequency of rodent-related complaints and inspections, along with the 2018 water and heating issues in Apartment 3, indicate persistent maintenance challenges that have required multiple citations and inspections to address.