BI 110119 RO
                                
                        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
                                
                                
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IN THE MATTER OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE     ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW
APPEAL OF                               DOCKET NO.: BI 110119 RO

                                        DISTRICT RENT
     MOHAMMAD A. MALIK                  ADMINISTRATOR'S DOCKET
NO.: BA 110426 S
                        PETITIONER
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  ORDER AND OPINION DENYING PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW
                                
     On September 16, 1987 the above named petitioner-owner filed
a Petition for Administrative Review against an order of the Rent
Administrator issued August 25, 1987. The order concerned housing
accommodations  known as Apt 6 H located at  134-38  Maple  Ave.,
Flushing,  N.Y.  The Administrator ordered a rent  reduction  for
failure to maintain required services.

      The  Commissioner  has reviewed the  record  and  carefully
considered  that portion relevant to the issues  raised  by  this
appeal.

      The  tenant commenced this proceeding by filing a Statement
of  Complaint of Decrease in Services on January 26, 1987 wherein
she alleged that the apartment never has been painted in the nine
years  she has lived there and that the owner has refused to  fix
the roof despite her complaint of leaks in the dining room.

      The  owner  was  served with a copy of  the  complaint  and
afforded  an opportunity to respond. The owner failed to  respond
to the complaint.

      The  Administrator  ordered a physical  inspection  of  the
subject apartment.  The inspection was conducted on June 30, 1987
and  revealed  peeling paint and plaster on  walls  and  ceilings
throughout the apartment due to a defective roof.

      The  Administrator issued the order here  under  review  on
August  25, 1987 and ordered a rent reduction based on the report
of the inspector.
      On  appeal  the  owner states that the apartment  had  been
repaired prior to the issuance of the order here under review and
that  the tenant had denied the owner access to the apartment  to
make  repairs prior to that time.  Attached to the petition is  a
work  order, signed by the tenant, wherein it is stated that  the
entire apartment has been painted as of August 6, 1987.

      After  careful  review of the evidence in the  record,  the
Commissioner  is  of  the  opinion that the  petition  should  be
denied.

      The  Commissioner  notes that the scope  of  review  in  an
administrative appeal proceeding is limited to facts or  evidence
presented  to  the Rent Administrator.  Since the owner  did  not
respond  below he may not now raise these defenses for the  first
time  on  appeal.   The  Commissioner further  notes  that,  even
assuming the apartment has been painted, the owner has not  shown
that  he has taken any action to repair the defective roof.   The
condition  of  the  roof was mentioned in the complaint  and  the
Administrator's  order.  The order here under review  is  correct
and is affirmed.

      The  owner may file for rent restoration when services have
been fully restored.

     THEREFORE, pursuant to the Rent Stabilization Law and Code
it is

      ORDERED,  that  this petition be, and the same  hereby  is,
denied, and that the Rent Administrator's order be, and the  same
hereby is, affirmed.

ISSUED:



                              JOSEPH A. D'AGOSTA
                              Acting Deputy Commissioner