DRA Properly Relied on Two Inspection Reports

Tenants complained of a reduction in building-wide services based on a number of conditions. The DRA ruled for tenants and reduced their rents. Tenants appealed, claiming that the DRA found only some of the conditions tenants said existed. Tenants argued that the walls in the stairway were still in poor repair, that stairways in the building still were rarely cleaned, that one of the roof doors wasn't self-closing, that doorman service wasn't maintained, that there was cracked glass on some terraces, that garage drains weren't maintained, that a first-floor fire door was still broken, that a garage exit door was hard to open, that emergency lights weren't working on several floors, and that building vents needed cleaning. The DHCR ruled against tenants. The DRA had ordered two inspections, several months apart, at the building, and properly relied on the inspector's reports in ruling on tenants' complaint. The inspector found a number of other conditions existed but not those listed in tenants' PAR. The inspector's report included photographs and was given greater weight than the statement of tenants' representative.

Various Tenants of 9511 Shore Road: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. VG210025RT (9/28/07) [4-pg. doc.]