Landlord Responsible for Tenant Installation of Locks

DOB issued a violation notice to landlord for illegally converting a two-family house to a four-family with 14 SRO units. Landlord objected. The ALJ ruled against landlord. Landlord appealed, claiming that the building was a legal three-family dwelling and that he didn't know that tenants had put locks on room doors to make the apartments SROs. ECB ruled against landlord. It didn't matter if landlord didn't know about the tenant installation of locks. Landlord was responsible for the illegal alteration of the building. Landlord was fined $33,000.

Santana: ECB App. No. 32862 (5/31/00) [2-pg. doc.]