4,110 recorded events, 1976–2026, from 19 city data systems. The city's paper trail here is mostly 1,587 HPD housing violations, 1,345 HPD complaints, 981 311 service requests.
Full record, year by year Support this site
A sustained record of distress well beyond its peers. More recorded distress than 99% of 6-24-unit residential buildings citywide. The citywide median for 6-24-unit residential buildings is 16.3 penalty points per 10 units; this building carries 2698.2. In ZIP 11233, 51% of residential buildings hold an A and 14% grade D or F. How grades work
Among 46,798 6-24-unit residential buildings citywide · left is less recorded distress, right is more
| Open HPD violations | 657 total — 256 class C (immediately hazardous), 341 class B, 60 class A. Oldest open since 2018-08-13. |
| Pending HPD litigation | 3 case(s) pending in housing court |
| Active vacate order | 1 unit(s) under an unrescinded HPD vacate order |
| Alternative Enforcement | currently in HPD's worst-buildings program |
status snapshot refreshed weekly from HPD records
195 heat or hot-water complaints in the last three years (winter 2023–24: 91 · winter 2024–25: 41 · winter 2025–26: 37). Repeated winter clusters suggest a chronic heating problem.
No bedbug-infested units reported in the last three years of filings.
$4,875 in enforcement penalties imposed (ECB/OATH) in the last three years.
319 service requests in the last three years. Most common: HEAT/HOT WATER (76) · UNSANITARY CONDITION (72) · DOOR/WINDOW (27) · PLUMBING (22) · APPLIANCE (22) · WATER LEAK (20).
No permitted work with a declared cost filed in the last decade. Permit costs cover filed construction work only — they do not capture routine maintenance or repairs done without a permit.
| Yes | Built before 1974 (1910) |
| Yes | Six or more residential units (12) |
| No | 421-a / J-51 tax benefit on the current tax roll |
2 of 3 signals present. This is the classic profile of a rent-stabilized building (pre-1974, 6+ units) — many units in such buildings remain stabilized. The definitive answer for any unit: request its rent history from NYS Homes & Community Renewal (free, at hcr.ny.gov).
| Registered owner(s) | 553 HOWARD LLC |
| Head officer | DAVID WEINBERGER |
| Managing agent | 553 HOWARD LLC |
| Last registered | 2025-07-07 |
as filed by the owner in the building's HPD registration
| Tax year | City market value | Assessed value |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $624,000 | $280,800 |
| 2026 | $614,000 | $276,300 |
| 2027 | $661,000 | $297,450 |
The city's market estimate has risen 6% between tax years 2025 and 2027.
Not in the FEMA 1%-annual-chance floodplain (2015 preliminary maps).
Not in a hurricane evacuation zone.
Not in the city's stormwater (cloudburst) flood maps under any modeled scenario.
No street-flooding or sewer-backup complaints on record at this address.
Sources: FEMA flood maps (coastal), NYC DEP Stormwater Flood Maps (cloudburst), NYC hurricane evacuation zones, and 311 records for this address.
| Subway | Sutter Av-Rutland Rd — 3 · 0.3 mi straight-line (about an 8-minute walk) · station accessibility: none |
| Bus | Nearest boarding stop: Pitkin Av / Legion St — B14 · 450 ft |
| Citi Bike | Pitkin Ave & Grafton St · 200 ft · station location as of 2026-09-23; live availability |
| School zones (2024–25 map) | Elementary: Elementary schools in this district are not zoned. Confirm with the DOE's school search. |
Distances are straight-line, not walking routes. Transit locations from the MTA and Citi Bike, bike facilities from NYC DOT, school zones from the DOE's 2024–25 maps.
553 Howard Avenue
| Heat or hot water | Heat or hot water |
| Apartment maintenance | Apartment maintenance |
| Bed bugs | Bed bugs |
| Residential pests | Residential pests |
| Rats or mice | Rats or mice |
| Anything else | Anything else |
319 311 service requests from this address in the last three years — 76 of them about heat or hot water.
311 will ask for the address, the apartment if the problem is inside, and what's wrong. Contact details are optional for most complaints; food-poisoning reports can be anonymous. Complaints appear in the city's public 311 data, usually within a day or two, and then in the Live from 311 box on this page.
Most recent mortgage recorded against this lot: $1,437,000 on 2023-01-20 (lender: Finwise Bank). Face amount at recording — it may have since been paid down, refinanced or satisfied. View the recorded document.
| Date | Record | Amount | Per res. unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-20 | Mortgage $1,437,000 — from 553 HOWARD LLC to FINWISE BANK | $1,437,000 | |
| 2023-01-20 | Mortgage $5,000,000 — from 553 HOWARD LLC to FINWISE BANK | $5,000,000 | |
| 2017-01-03 | AL&R $1,500,000 — from 553 HOWARD LLC to KEARNY BANK | $1,500,000 | |
| 2017-01-03 | Agreement $1,500,000 — from 553 HOWARD LLC to KEARNY BANK | $1,500,000 | |
| 2017-01-03 | Mortgage $504,737 — from 553 HOWARD LLC to KEARNY BANK | $504,737 | |
| 2014-07-01 | Mortgage $1,025,000 — from 553 HOWARD LLC to SIGNATURE BANK | $1,025,000 | |
| 2014-07-01 | AL&R $1,025,000 — from 553 HOWARD LLC | $1,025,000 | |
| 2014-05-06 | Deed $725,647 — from 553 HOWARD AVENUE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FU to 553 HOWARD LLC | $725,647 | |
| 2004-02-03 | Mortgage $500,000 — from 553 HOWARD AVENUE DEVELOPMENT FUND CORPO to ASTORIA FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIA | $500,000 | |
| 2004-02-03 | AL&R $500,000 — from 553 HOWARD AVENUE DEVELOPMENT FUND CORPO to ASTORIA FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIA | $500,000 | |
| 2003-06-12 | Mortgage $450,000 — from 553 HOWARD AVENUE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FU; 1530-32 EASTERN PARKWAY HOUSING to CANTOR, DAVID A; THE LEVITES FAMILY, L.P.; BARON ASSOCIATES | $450,000 | |
| 2003-06-12 | AL&R $450,000 — from CANTOR, DAVID A; BARON ASSOCIATES; THE LEVITES FAMILY, L.P. to 553 HOWARD AVENUE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FU | $450,000 | |
| 1992-11-16 | Mortgage $69,435 — from 553 HOWARD AVE HDFC to NYC HPD | $69,435 |
| Year | Enforcement | Housing & tenants | Ownership & money | Health & systems | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 186 | 5 | 0 | 192 |
| 2018 | 3 | 179 | 1 | 2 | 185 |
| 2019 | 1 | 285 | 0 | 0 | 286 |
| 2020 | 9 | 297 | 0 | 1 | 307 |
| 2021 | 6 | 162 | 1 | 1 | 170 |
| 2022 | 1 | 312 | 0 | 1 | 314 |
| 2023 | 5 | 581 | 2 | 2 | 590 |
| 2024 | 6 | 387 | 1 | 1 | 395 |
| 2025 | 4 | 541 | 0 | 2 | 547 |
| 2026 | 1 | 115 | 2 | 0 | 118 |
Every one of the 4,110 recorded events, 1976–2026, is laid out year by year in the full report (print-ready).
Explore: ZIP 11233 · Landlord rankings · How grades work · The map · The Mice Map