Landlord Can Stop Including Electricity in Rent

Landlord applied for permission to terminate rent inclusion of electricity and change from master metering to direct metering. The DRA ruled for landlord. Tenants appealed, questioning landlord's rewiring proposal and claiming that it contained no safeguards. Tenants also argued that the rent reductions granted by the DRA for the change in service were insufficient. The DHCR ruled against tenants. Landlord complied with the DHCR's policy by submitting with its application a proposal to rewire the building. The proposed work meets the requirements for rewiring for an MCI. DOB will review and sign off on the work and installation of electric meters when completed. If landlord doesn't rewire properly, tenants can file a complaint of decreased services.The rent reductions ordered by the DRA are based on a schedule issued in DHCR Operational Bulletin 2003-1. The rent reductions are based on the median monthly cost of electricity to tenants taken from U.S. Census Bureau data.

400 East 57th Street: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. UI430062RT (10/4/07) [3-pg. doc.]