LANDLORD WINS

Lease Records Given More Weight Than Rent Registration Containing Clerical Error

November 21, 2023    

Tenant complained to the DHCR in March 2019 of rent overcharge and improper deregulation. Landlord claimed that the apartment had been vacancy-deregulated when tenant moved in. Landlord submitted the prior tenant...

Untimely Fair Market Rent Appeal Converted to Rent Overcharge Proceeding

November 20, 2023    

Rent-stabilized tenant filed a fair market rent appeal with the DHCR in 2015. She was the first rent-stabilized tenant after rent control and her initial rent in 2005 was $1,800 per month. Tenant also claimed that...

Landlord Proves It Never Received Notice of Overcharge Complaint

October 27, 2023    

Rent-stabilized tenant complained of rent overcharge. The DRA ruled for tenant and applied the default formula to set the 2014 base date rent because landlord failed to provide a lease and/or rent ledger in effect on...

DHCR Corrected Errors in Rent Overcharge Calculation

October 25, 2023    

Rent-stabilized tenant complained to the DHCR in 2018 of rent overcharge. The DRA ruled for tenant and directed landlord to refund $8,280, including interest. Landlord appealed and won in part. Landlord claimed that...

Court Dismisses Tenant Claim of Improper Deregulation and Rent Overcharge

September 24, 2023    

Tenant sued landlord in 2022, claiming that unjustified rent increases for her formerly rent-stabilized apartment since at least 1992 resulted in improper vacancy deregulation of the unit by landlord in 2003,...

Landlord Didn't Waive Right to Washing Machine Surcharge from Rent-Stabilized Tenant

September 22, 2023    

Rent-stabilized tenant complained to the DHCR of rent overcharge. The DRA ruled for tenant in part, and directed landlord to refund a total overcharge with interest and triple damages totalling $4,714. But the DRA...

No Overcharge Where Apartment Was Vacancy Deregulated Before Tenant Moved In

August 28, 2023    

Tenant complained to the DHCR of rent overcharge and improper apartment deregulation after moving into the unit in 2016. The DRA ruled for tenant, found that the unit was rent stabilized and ordered landlord to...

Tenant Moved Out Before Rent Stabilization Coverage Began at Building

August 28, 2023    

Tenant complained to the DHCR of rent overcharge and improper apartment deregulation. The DRA ruled against tenant, who appealed and lost. Landlord pointed out that it had signed an Assurance of Discontinuance with...

Court Dismisses Tenants' Claim of Fraudulent Rent Overcharge

July 26, 2023    

Landlord sued rent-stabilized tenants in State Supreme Court, seeking recovery of $59,000 in back rent now owed since tenants stopped paying rent in March 2020. Tenants responded with claims of rent overcharge. They...

Tenant Showed No Colorable Overcharge Claim Warranting Vacatur of 2019 Settlement Agreement

July 26, 2023    

Landlord sued to evict rent-stabilized tenant for nonpayment of rent in 2019. The parties signed a settlement agreement so-ordered by the court. Several year later, tenant claimed that he had signed the agreement...

Failure to Attach DHCR Rent Stabilization Riders to Renewal Leases Doesn't Invalidate Rents

July 25, 2023    

Rent-stabilized tenant complained to the DHCR in February 2019 that he had been overcharged. Tenant argued that landlord made false claims that individual apartment improvements (IAIs) made before tenant moved into...

Landlord Proved Lawful IAIs Cost Almost $65,000

July 25, 2023    

Rent-stabilized tenant complained to the DHCR of rent overcharge in 2018. The DRA ruled against tenant, finding that landlord had proved it spent $64,984 on individual apartment improvements (IAIs) before tenant...