New Intercom System Tied to Tenant's Phone Line

Tenant complained of a reduction in services. She said that landlord removed the intercom system that had been in place since 1972, and replaced it with a system that required tenant's personal phone wires to be connected to the intercom system. That meant tenant would have to call the lobby on her private phone line. Tenant claimed that she used only a cell phone. The DRA ruled against tenant. Tenant appealed and lost. Tenant had filed a previous complaint on the same issue. In that proceeding, landlord had advised the DHCR that the co-op building had upgraded the intercom system to have the service ring directly on the apartment's telephone line, and tenant had refused the installation. The DHCR previously ruled that this was an adequate substitute service and that using tenant's phone line didn't increase the cost of tenant's phone service.

Tramutola: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. UE410036RT (11/3/06) [2-pg. doc.]