Rents Reduced Due to Landlord's Removal of Laundry Room Service

Rent-stabilized tenants complained of a reduction in building-wide services based on removal of laundry room service. The service was there as of 2012 but was removed in 2016. The DRA ruled for tenants and reduced their rents. Landlord appealed and lost. The building's Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) didn't permit a laundry room in the building basement, so landlord argued it was required to remove the laundry room. But landlord didn't dispute that laundry room facilities had been provided from at least 2012 until they were removed. So, the laundry room was a required service under Rent Stabilization Code (RSC) Section 2520.6(r). And landlord hadn't applied to the DHCR under RSC Section 2522.4(d)(2) for permission to modify services because removing the laundry room was required by a specific requirement of law. Landlord also didn't show that it had ever received DOB or HPD violations for the laundry room. And landlord hadn't sought to amend the C of O by allowing the laundry room, so there was no other agency ruling. The DRA properly reduced tenants' rents.

Hicks and Kane, LLC: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. HS210028RO (8/26/20) [3-pg. doc.]