BL210026RT
                              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. BL210026RT

                                          :  DISTRICT RENT OFFICE
             Katherine & Reynold Brown,      DOCKET NO. ZAE210405R
                                            
                                             OWNER: Creative Housing Ltd.

                            PETITIONERS   : 
      ------------------------------------X                             

            ORDER AND OPINION DENYING PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW


      On December 17, 1987 the above-named petitioner-tenants filed a Petition 
      for Administrative Review against an order issued on December 8, 1987 by 
      the Rent Administrator, 92-31 Union Hall Street, Jamaica, New York 
      concerning the housing accommodations known as Apartment A5 at 170 Fenimore 
      Street, Brooklyn, New York wherein the Rent Administrator determined that 
      there was no overcharge.              

      The issue in this Appeal is whether the Rent Administrator's order was 
      warranted.                                         

      In this petition, the tenants contend in substance that there should be a 
      rent reduction since there are service decreases and violations.  In the 
      section calling for the docket number of the order being appealed they have 
      listed three numbers which appear to be Housing Court index or docket 
      numbers.  For the issuance date of the order they give three dates, none of 
      them being December 8, 1987.  However, the tenants also enclosed a copy of 
      the order in Docket No. AE210405R, on which they wrote that they were 
      appealing the overcharge decision "because we had no way of knowing that we 
      were defrauded until we go through proper channels."

      In answer, the owner asserts in substance that the tenants cannot file a 
      DHCR Petition for Administrative Review against three landlord and tenant 
      cases; that the last DHCR decision is one of April 14, 1986 in Docket No. 
      K005692RV, so this would be an untimely appeal of that decision; and that 
      the tenants cannot start a DHCR complaint by filing a Petition for 
      Administrative Review. 

      The Commissioner is of the opinion that the tenants' petition should be 
      denied.

      The April 14, 1986 order in Docket No. K005692RV found that the rents in 
      the tenants' first two leases were lawful, and stated that forms for 
      service complaints were being mailed to the tenants.  The tenants promptly 
      filed another overcharge complaint, on which they also alleged "enormous" 
      violations in the apartment.  It was proper for the Administrator to again 









      BL210026RT

      find no overcharge for the same two lease terms.  An overcharge complaint 
      is not the proper place to complain of service decreases.

      The Commissioner notes that the tenants have vacated.

      THEREFORE, in accordance with the provisions of the Rent Stabilization Law 
      and Code, it is

      ORDERED, that this petition for administrative review be, and the same 
      hereby is, denied and that the order of the Rent Administrator be, and the 
      same hereby is, affirmed.

      ISSUED:



                                                                    
                                      JOSEPH A. D'AGOSTA
                                      Deputy Commissioner