Rent Reduction Ordered Due to Con Ed Gas Shut Off to Tenant's Apartment

Rent-stabilized tenant complained of a reduction in services because cooking gas had been shut off in her apartment in November 2021. The DRA ruled for tenant in June 2022 and reduced her rent. Landlord appealed and lost. There had been a fire in the building in 2021 that resulted in a full vacate order. Con Edison also turned off the gas so, when tenant was restored to possession, she had no cooking gas. Landlord gave tenant an electric stove top burner to use while the gas was shut off. When the DHCR's inspector visited the apartment in May 2022, there still was no gas provided to the apartment and/or the building. Although landlord argued that it couldn't control the gas shut off by Con Edison, the RSL and RSC required landlord to provide and maintain all required services. So a rent reduction was warranted for the lack of cooking gas in this case.

130 Van Cort Corp.: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. KS610011RO (9/23/22)[2-pg. document]