Landlord Can Replace Night Lobby Attendant with Overnight Video System

Landlord asked the DHCR for permission to modify a rent-stabilized building's 24-hour lobby attendant services. Landlord sought to replace an in-person attendant with electronic door and lobby monitoring system between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., since most of the lobby attendant's duties were performed between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Landlord said that the building would have an audio-video connection to a command center staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by a service provider's operator. Tenants were able to view and allow entry for visitors via an existing video intercom system.

The DRA ruled against landlord, who appealed and won. Landlord showed that, in other cases, the DHCR and courts had permitted substitution for lobby attendants with a video surveillance system.  Here, landlord already had a security system in place and had agreed, while its PAR was pending, to maintain an in-person lobby attendant from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., which was longer than what it proposed in its original application. 

150 Fourth Avenue LLC: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. CQ210018RO (8/3/22)[2-pg. document]