161 Beach 5th Street, Queens, NY 11691

This three-story, two-family house at 161 Beach 5th Street in Far Rockaway, built in 2016 and currently owned by Adam Mermelstein, has experienced several significant maintenance issues over the past two years that warrant attention. Most recently, in May 2024, there was an emergency electric wiring complaint that HPD was unable to inspect due to access issues.

This followed a pattern of plumbing, ceiling, and sanitation issues throughout 2024, including a toilet problem in January that took four months to address, and a sewage issue from November 2023 that also remained open for several months. Currently, there are four open violations as of April 2024, including defective plaster and paint conditions in the basement and garage ceilings, and evidence of water leaks affecting the ceiling in the basement, all of which fall under the jurisdiction of the Housing Maintenance Code as Class B violations.

The building's history shows some prior regulatory scrutiny, including a Department of Buildings complaint in January 2019 regarding an alleged illegal conversion, though this was investigated and found to have no violations. Interestingly, there was also a bedbug reporting period from late 2017 to late 2018 during which no bedbug infestations were reported in any unit, and no units required re-treatment. While the building's relatively recent construction date of 2016 suggests it should generally meet modern building standards, the pattern of maintenance issues observed in 2023-2024, particularly regarding basic systems like plumbing and electrical, suggests ongoing challenges with building upkeep that may impact resident comfort and safety.