Landlord Must Pay Tenant's Gas and Electric Bills

Rent-stabilized tenant complained of a reduction in services because landlord refused to pay tenant's gas and electricity bills. Tenant said that landlord previously paid Con Ed directly for her utility service, but had stopped doing so and Con Ed now billed her directly. The DRA ruled for tenant and ordered landlord to restore this service. Landlord appealed and lost. Landlord claimed that tenant's initial 1992 lease agreement required tenant to pay her own gas and electric bills. Landlord also didn't answer tenant's complaint to the DRA because it thought the case was being consolidated with landlord's related application to modify services. Landlord didn't present a valid excuse for not answering tenant's complaint, and, in any case, the DHCR had denied landlord's application to terminate electrical inclusion services to tenant.

The Macon Realty: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. ZC210037RO (2/10/12) [3-pg. doc.]