118-37 Metropolitan Avenue, Queens, NY 11415

This 20-unit, 4-story New Law Tenement building in Kew Gardens, owned by David Simhaee, has experienced recurring heat and hot water issues over the past two years, with multiple emergency complaints in 2025 and 2024, including one recently in May 2025 that HPD could not inspect due to access issues. The building has also faced various maintenance concerns, particularly in 2023 and 2024, including pest infestations, electrical problems, and plumbing issues, with several complaints where HPD was unable to gain access for inspection.

Apartment 1E has a history of violations from 2021 related to unauthorized alterations (wood paneling and acoustic tiles) and multiple health and safety concerns including pest infestations, missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and plumbing issues, though most violations have since been closed. More serious incidents occurred during a 2022 facade repair project, resulting in multiple Environmental Control Board violations related to safety and compliance issues, including fines totaling $27,500. These violations were connected to unsafe scaffold conditions and worker safety concerns during a period when a worker was injured in a fall.

The building has maintained a clean record in recent years regarding bedbugs, with no reported infestations or eradications from 2020 to the present. Recent Local Law 188 compliance inspections in 2024 showed no violations warranting enforcement action. While the building has had recurring maintenance issues, particularly relating to heat and water systems, its extensive history of repairs and inspections suggests ongoing management attention to building systems and compliance requirements.