526 West 161st Street

526 West 161st Street in Washington Heights, Manhattan, has 24 open HPD violations, 6 of them class C, and 23 of 24 units are rent-stabilized, as of Oct 26, 2026. StreetSpy grade: F (37/100).

Multi-family walk-up · 24 units · Built 1910

StreetSpy grade: F (Severe, 37/100)

• 6 immediately hazardous violations open (the class that covers no heat, pests, lead paint and similar).
• 13 heat or hot water complaints to 311 in the last 12 months.
• The owner's bedbug filings report 1 infested unit over the last 3 years.
• 23 of 24 units are rent-stabilized; 22 on the 2007 tax bill.

More open violations per unit than 7 in 10 Manhattan buildings this size.

• Repairs: High (24 open, 6 class C), records as of Oct 26, 2026
• Heat and hot water: 13 complaints, 12 mo, records as of Oct 25, 2026
• Pests: Medium (1 infested unit, 3 yr), records as of Oct 28, 2026
• Safety: Clear (No open DOB violations), records as of Oct 26, 2026
• Registration: Renewal not yet in city data, records as of Oct 3, 2026

How the grade works

Housing code violations (HPD)

24 open violations: 6 class C (immediately hazardous), 15 class B, 3 class A. 6 issued in the last 12 months. 436 on record. Oldest open violation issued 2021-04-01. Newest violation issued 2026-08-25.

1 closed in the last 90 days. Median 112 days from issue to close for the 11 violations closed in the last 12 months.

• Class C: Self-closing door not working (hallway). , 27-2007, 27-2041.1 HMC, §238, § 309; § 107 (2) ( C) MDL AND 28 RCNY §25-171: REPLACE OR REPAIR THE SELF-CLOSING DOORS THAT IS MISSING OR DEFECTIVE HINGES AT DOOR LEADING TO EAST YARD AT PUBLIC HALL, 1st STORY, issued 2025-10-09. HPD violation 18285795
• Class C: Mice, throughout the apartment, 1st floor. HMC ADM CODE: § 27-2017.4 ABATE THE INFESTATION CONSISTING OF MICE IN THE ENTIRE APARTMENT LOCATED AT APT 3, 1st STORY, 2nd APARTMENT FROM EAST AT SOUTH (apt 3), issued 2025-08-29. HPD violation 18190643
• Class C: Roaches, throughout the apartment, 1st floor. HMC ADM CODE: § 27-2017.4 ABATE THE INFESTATION CONSISTING OF ROACHES IN THE ENTIRE APARTMENT LOCATED AT APT 3, 1st STORY, 2nd APARTMENT FROM EAST AT SOUTH (apt 3), issued 2025-08-29. HPD violation 18190642
• Class C: Missing window guards, throughout the apartment, 6th floor. HMC INSTALL THE MISSING OR REPAIR/REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE WINDOW GUARD(S) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE NEW YORK CITY HEALTH CODE SECTION 24 RCNY CHAPTER 12. WG TO INSTALL = 1; WG TO REPLACE = 0; WG TO REPAIR = 0; IN THE ENTIRE APARTMENT LOCATED AT APT 24, 6th STORY, 2nd APARTMENT FROM WEST AT NORTH (apt 24), issued 2024-07-22. HPD violation 17124354
• Class C: Mice, throughout the apartment, 1st floor. HMC ADM CODE: § 27-2017.4 ABATE THE INFESTATION CONSISTING OF MICE IN THE ENTIRE APARTMENT LOCATED AT APT 1, 1st STORY, 1st APARTMENT FROM NORTH AT EAST (apt 1), issued 2021-05-10. HPD violation 14329201
• Class C: Lead paint hazard, 1st door from the south, west wall, 2nd room from the north, 1st floor. - CORRECT THE LEAD-BASED PAINT HAZARD - PAINT THAT TESTED POSITIVE FOR LEAD CONTENT AND THAT IS PEELING OR ON A DETERIORATED SUBSURFACE - USING WORK PRACTICES SET FORTH IN 28 RCNY §11-06(B)(2) 1st DOOR FROM SOUTH AT WEST WALL IN THE 2nd ROOM FROM NORTH AT WEST LOCATED AT APT 1, 1st STORY, 1st APARTMENT FROM NORTH AT EAST (apt 1), issued 2021-05-10. HPD violation 14329355
• Class B: Broken window or sash (hallway). & 309 M/D LAW ABATE THE NUISANCE CONSISTING OF PLEXIGLASS AT VESTIBULE DOOR AT PUBLIC HALL, 1st STORY, issued 2026-08-25. HPD violation 19147831
• Class B: Door, lock or intercom defect, kitchen, 5th floor. HMC: PROPERLY REPAIR OR REPLACE THE BROKEN OR DEFECTIVE RUBBER GASKET AT LOWER REFRIGERATOR DOOR IN THE KITCHEN LOCATED AT APT APT20, 5th STORY, 2nd APARTMENT FROM WEST AT NORTH (apt APT20), issued 2025-08-07. HPD violation 18139895

311 housing complaints

21 in the last 12 months, 115 in 5 years. Most common: Heat/Hot Water (13), Unsanitary Condition (4), Water Leak (2), Door/Window (1), Paint/Plaster (1).

Bedbugs

The owner reported 1 infested unit in the last 3 years. HPD's bedbug filings are self-reported by the owner once a year; HPD does not inspect to confirm them.

• 2026: No bedbug filing on record for this year
• 2025: Owner reported 0 infested units
• 2024: Owner reported 0 infested units
• 2023: Owner reported 1 infested, 1 treated, 0 re-infested
• 2022: Owner reported 2 infested, 2 treated, 0 re-infested
• 2021: Owner reported 2 infested, 2 treated, 2 re-infested

Buildings department (DOB)

No open DOB violations. 1 DOB violation on record. Check on DOB BIS.

Evictions and housing court

0 executed evictions in the last 3 years (1 on record). 0 open HPD cases; 0 harassment findings.

Rent stabilization

23 of 24 units rent-stabilized as of 2024. Stabilized renewals: 0% for one year and 0% for two years under RGB Order #58 (Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027).

Rent-stabilized units on city tax bills: 23 in 2024, 22 in 2007. Source: DOF tax bills for 2007 and 2024; years with no bill on file are left out.

Owner and management

Owner: Optimum Equity LLC. Head officer: Jay Silver. Managing agent: Jay Silver. This owner has 33 buildings on record, 29 graded D or F. See the full portfolio.

Last HPD registration Sep 15, 2025. Registration on file through Sep 1, 2026; renewal not yet in the city's data.

Tax lot and city IDs

BBL 1021190023, HPD building ID 42893. HPD Online, ACRIS, DOB BIS.

Nearest subway

• 163 St-Amsterdam Av (C), 2 min walk
• 157 St (1), 4 min walk
• 168 St-Washington Hts (1), 7 min walk

How the grade is calculated

Sources: NYC HPD Housing Maintenance Code Violations, NYC 311 Service Requests, NYC HPD Bedbug Reporting, NYC Marshal Evictions (DOI), NYC HPD Housing Litigations, NYC DOB Violations, NYC DOF tax bills (via JustFix Who Owns What portfolio API, v2), NYC HPD Property Registration. Methodology. Report generated 2026-10-28.