BI 110191-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
          APPEALS OF                              DOCKET NO.:   
                                                  BI 110191-RT                
                    ELEANOR WAIN,                 
                                                  RENT          ADMINISTRATOR'S
                                                  DOCKET NO.: 
                                  PETITIONER      49229      
          ----------------------------------x



              ORDER AND OPINION GRANTING ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL IN PART     
                                          

          On September 9, 1987, the above-named petitioner-tenant filed  an
          Administrative Appeal against an order issued on August 28, 1987, 
          by the District Rent  Administrator,  92-31  Union  Hall  Street,
          Jamaica, New York, concerning the housing accommodations known as 
          255-19 73rd Avenue, Glen Oaks, New York, Apartment No. 2.

          The issue herein is whether the District Rent Administrator  pro-
          perly 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 apart 
          ment 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.

          In answer to the tenant's objections, the owner asserted  that  a
          stove and refrigerator are provided  with  the  apartment;  elec-
          tricity  is  not  required  to  be  registered;  shades  are  not
          provided; storage space outside the apartment  is  not  provided;







          BI 110191-RT
          garages are the property 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 clothesline are  provided
          by the co-op corporation for the common areas  and  are  not  re-
          quired to be listed on the apartment registration.

          On August 28, 1987, the District  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 established 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 proceedi g  the  Commis-
          ioner 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 a front desk do not have to be listed on t e  regis-
          tration  since  they  are  apartment  and  building   maintenance
          requirements.

          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







          BI 110191-RT
          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  state-
          ments.  They are required services, though, and  any  attempt  to
          eliminate these items will be justification  for  a  rent  reduc-
          tion application.  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
          or to be made in those proceedings (Docket Nos. FH 130079-RT  and
          FH 130037-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






    

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