BI 420105 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 420105 RO

     RONALD DAVIS                       DISTRICT RENT
                                        ADMINISTRATOR'S DOCKET
NO.: BB 520422 S
                        PETITIONER
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  ORDER AND OPINION DENYING PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW
                                
     On September 23, 1987 the above named petitioner-owner filed
a Petition for Administrative Review against an order of the Rent
Administrator  issued  September 14, 1987.  The  order  concerned
housing  accommodations  known as Apt 3-B  located  at  1890  7th
Avenue,  New  York,  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 February 5, 1987 wherein
he alleged the following services deficiencies:

          1.   Bathroom doors broken
          
          2.   Half  bathroom ceiling broken and falling  due  to
               leak
          
          3.   Leaks in full bathroom and hallway ceilings
          
          4.   Defective intercom system
          
          5.   No superintendent
          
          6.   Vermin infestation
          
          7.   No lights in front of outside building entrance
          
      The  owner  was  served with a copy of  the  complaint  and
afforded an opportunity to respond. The owner filed a response on
March  27, 1987 and stated that the bathroom doors were repaired,
that  the  entire apartment has been replastered,  that  plumbing
work  has been done in the apartment above that of the tenant  to
stop  the  leaks, that the intercoms are fairly new and would  be
repaired  if necessary, that a superintendent lives in  Apt.  3E,
that  the  building has the use of an exterminating  service  and
that new lights have been installed in the front of the building.

      The  Administrator  ordered a physical  inspection  of  the
subject apartment.  The inspection was conducted on July 16, 1987
and revealed the following:

          1.   Kitchen,  hallway and bathroom walls and  ceilings
               have  peeling  paint  and plaster  and  are  water
               stained
          
          2.   Vermin infestation in apartment
          
          3.   Intercom inoperative

      The  Administrator issued the order here  under  review  on
September  14,  1987 and ordered a rent reduction of  $17.00  per
month based on the inspector's report.

      On  appeal the owner states that repairs have been made  to
the  apartment and that the tenant is aware of the  existence  of
exterminator services.  Annexed to the petition is a  copy  of  a
work  order purportedly signed by the tenant dated April 3, 1987,
in  which  it  is  stated  that the  apartment  was  painted  and
plastered  and the intercom repaired.  The owner also  submits  a
letter  from  the  extermination service to the  effect  that  it
offers  its' services to the tenants on a monthly basis  and  has
done so since November, 1986.

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

      Section  2202.16  of  the  Rent  and  Eviction  Regulations
provides  that if an owner fails to maintain services,  the  Rent
Administrator  may  order a decrease in the maximum  rent  in  an
amount  which  the Rent Administrator, in using  discretion,  may
determine.

      The  record  in  the instant case reveals that  the  tenant
complained about certain conditions at the subject apartment  and
a  physical  inspection  of the apartment  confirmed  that  these
conditions indeed existed.  The Commissioner notes that while the
owner questions the findings of fact, the record clearly reflects
those findings by virtue of the DHCR inspection which occurred on
July  16,  1987,  subsequent to the April  3,  1987  work  order.
Moreover,  the owner had ample time, from the date of service  of
the tenant's complaint until the issuance of the order here under
review,  to  investigate  the tenant's complaints  and  make  the
necessary repairs.  The owner failed to do so.

       Accordingly,   the  Commissioner  finds  that   the   Rent
Administrator  properly  determined  that  the  owner   had   not
corrected  conditions and, for this reason, a rent reductions  is
warranted.  The owner may file for rent restoration when services
have been restored.


     THEREFORE, pursuant to the Rent and Eviction Regulations for
New York City 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
                              
    

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