DHCR Decisions          BH 110144-RT                                 STATE OF NEW YORK                      DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL                           OFFICE OF RENT ADMINISTRATION                                     GERTZ PLAZA                               92-31 UNION HALL STREET                              JAMAICA, NEW YORK  11433                                                                          ----------------------------------x          IN THE MATTER OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE     ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW          APPEAL OF                               DOCKET NO.:                                                  BH 110144-RT                    LEONARD FREED,                                                      RENT ADMINISTRATOR'S                                                  DOCKET NO.:                                   PETITIONER     049404          ----------------------------------x                      ORDER AND OPINION GRANTING PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW                                       IN PART          On September 12, 1987, the above-named petitioner-tenant filed an            Administrative Appeal against an order issued on August 26, 1987,          by the Rent Administrator, 92-31 Union Hall Street, Jamaica,          New York, concerning the housing accommodations known as 261-34          Langston Avenue, Glen Oaks, New York, Apartment 2.          The issue herein is whether the Rent Administrator properly          determined the services the owner is obligated to and does provide          to the tenant in the subject building and whether the registration          statement was properly amended to reflect those services.          The Commissioner has reviewed all of the evidence in the record and          has carefully considered that portion of the record relevant to the          issues raised by the administrative appeal.          On October 2, 1984, the tenant commenced the original proceeding by          filing with the Division a tenant's objection form to the services          registration statement filed by the owner.  The tenant alleged that          the owner did not include therein a number of apartment and          building services.  Specifically, the tenant stated that the owner          omitted a stove, refrigerator, shades, garage, linoleum, toilet          seat, light fixtures, screens, extermination services, and a master          antenna outlet as apartment services and electricity, storage          space, front desk, exterior door locks, benches, exterior lighting,          snow removal and salting, security, landscaping, parking spaces,          outside water-spigots, clotheslines, and community rooms as          building-wide services.          BH 110144-RT          In answer to the tenant's objections, the owner asserted that a          stove and refrigerator are provided with the apartment; electricity          is not required to be registered; shades are not provided; storage          space outside the apartment is not provided; garages are the prop-          erty of the co-op corporation; there is no front desk; linoleum,          toilet seat, fixtures, screens, and exterminator are provided with          the apartment; and exterior door locks, benches, parking, community          rooms, snow removal, security, landscaping, outside water spigots          and clotheslines are provided by the co-op corporation for the          common areas and are not required to be listed on the apartment          registration.          On August 26, 1987, The Rent Administrator issued an order in which          it amended the registration to include a stove, refrigerator,          window shades, luggage room and screens.  It also noted that the          right of rent stabilized tenants to rent garage space was estab-          lished in an earlier order (Docket Nos. 57577-B, 58299-B and          62622-B issued on July 8, 1985).          In the Petition for Administrative Review, the tenant urges that          the Administrator's order should be amended to include all the          items contained in the original objection form or specify which do          not need to be listed because they are either required by law or          fall within the definition of normal maintenance.          The Commissioner is of the opinion that the tenant's petition          should be granted in part.          According to Section 2528.1 of the Rent Stabilization Code, an          owner was required to register all housing accommodations subject          to the Rent Stabilization Law on April 1, 1984, and to include in          that registration all services provided for in the last lease or          provided or required to be provided on the applicable base date or          thereafter.  No service may be discontinued except by mutual          agreement between the owner and the tenant and the approval of the          Division with an appropriate adjustment in the rent.          Required services are defined by Section 2520.6(r) of the Code and          include ancillary services for which there is a separate charge.          Applying these principles to the instant proceeding the Commis-          sioner finds that electricity for common and exterior areas and          exterminator services are required by law and did not have to be          listed on the registration.  Snow removal, salting, landscaping,          security and front desk do not have to be listed on the regis-          tration since they are apartment and building maintenance          requirements.          BH 110144-RT          As for benches, parking spaces, and community meeting rooms, the          owner has not denied that these are services provided to the          apartment or building on the applicable base date.  The fact that          some of them may be provided by the co-op corporation does not          relieve the owner of the obligation to include these items on the          registration and to assure their continued availability. Accord-          ingly, the registration should be amended to reflect these facts.          The owner has also not denied that toilet seats, exterior door          locks, linoleum, light fixtures in public areas, outside water          spigots, and clotheslines are provided.  However, because of the          minor nature of these items, the Commissioner finds that they do          not have to be specifically listed on the registration statements.            They are required services, though, and any attempt to eliminate          these items will be justification for a rent reduction applica-          tion.  Any prior order issued by the Commissioner finding that          these services had to be registered were the result of the owner's          attempt to disclaim liability for these items.  In order to be          consistent with this order, the prior orders should be construed as          finding that these minor services are required to be provided but          need not be registered.          The Commissioner notes that the issues of whether playgrounds,          storage space and front desk/maintenance crew are required services          and whether these services are being provided by the owner are the          subject of other proceedings filed with this agency and the parties          are advised to refer to the determinations made in those proceed-          ings (Docket Nos. FH 130079-RT and FH 130039-RO, e.g.).          THEREFORE, in accordance with the Rent Stabilization Law and Code,          it is          ORDERED, that this petition be, and the same hereby is, granted in          part and that the Administrator's order be, and the same hereby is,          modified as provided hereinabove.          ISSUED:                                                                                                                         JOSEPH A. D'AGOSTA                                             Acting Deputy commissioner