Repiping to Tenant's Apartment Was Installed Through Ceiling Below

Landlord applied for MCI rent hikes based on installation of building-wide plumbing and repiping. The DRA ruled for landlord. Tenant appealed and lost. Tenant claimed that the kitchen of one apartment didn't receive any repiping work. In that unit, the only repiping work done was in the bathroom and new shower body. Landlord noted the water risers and branches for the unit in question were completed as part of the building-wide MCI and DOB had signed off on the work. Landlord's architect stated that the new hot and cold risers were run up through the ceiling of the apartments below the subject unit and connected under the kitchen sink with new branch lines into the bathroom complete with a new shower body. The DHCR noted that tenant had filed a service reduction complaint concerning the bathroom water pressure but made no claims were as to the kitchen water pressure. The DRA ruled for tenant and reduced her rent but later granted landlord's application to restore rent, finding that the bathroom water pressure was restored. Landlord also fully documented the MCI work in its rent increase application. 

Davidson: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. HR230042RT (2/18/22)[2-pg. document]