Landlord Can Change Laundry Room Service, with Rent Reduction

Landlord asked the DHCR for permission to modify required services in a condo building with some rent-stabilized units, by eliminating the small laundry rooms on each floor and replacing them with one central laundry room in the basement that would contain six new washers and dryers. Currently, there were 25 small laundry rooms in the building, each with one washer and dryer. Tenants objected to the change in service. All of the 27 tenants were over the age of 65 and, among other things, complained of the long trek to the basement to get to the proposed central laundry room. The DRA ruled for landlord, without directing any permanent rent reduction. Tenants appealed and won, in part. Moving the building's laundry room service to the distant basement location was in fact a decrease in building services. So tenants were entitled to a permanent rent reduction of $30 per month as a condition for the service modification. 

Various Tenants of 235 West 75th Street: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. GP410005RT (6/23/22)[6-pg. document]