Additional Signatures Have No Effect

Landlord asked the DHCR whether it had to accept a renewal lease returned from a rent-stabilized tenant if tenant had added the signature of another person to the lease. In an opinion letter, the DHCR stated that landlord was only required to renew the lease with the tenant who had signed the vacancy lease. If tenant sent back a renewal lease that contained additional signatures of other persons landlord hadn't agreed to, these signatures would have no effect. The renewal lease would be binding only between the named tenant and landlord. In the DHCR's opinion, landlord could cross the additional signature off the renewal lease. However, landlord should find out if tenant was making a request to add another person to the lease. If landlord agrees to do so, landlord can treat the new lease as a vacancy lease unless the additional tenant is the original tenant's spouse.

DHCR Opin. Ltr. by Charles Goldstein (10/13/98) [2-pg. doc.]