Landlord Must Give Tenant Six Front Door Keys for Apartment Occupants

Rent-stabilized tenant complained of a reduction in services, claiming that landlord repeatedly denied his requests for two front door keys to the building after landlord installed a vestibule door lock. Landlord argued that in a separate DHCR complaint, tenant had requested a total of eight sets of keys and that the new complaint duplicated the prior one. The DRA asked tenant how many keys he wanted, and tenant listed five other family members and their ages. This included four adults and two teenagers. The DRA notified landlord and asked whether landlord had provided keys to each lawful occupant who was at least 10 years of age. Landlord claimed that it gave tenant two keys and that there was an illegal number of apartment occupants. The DRA ruled for tenant and reduced his rent. Landlord appealed and lost. Tenant had previously notified landlord, using the DHCR's Form RA-23.5, that four of the five other occupants lived in the apartment. And a service complaint proceeding wasn't the proper forum for landlord's objection regarding who the lawful apartment occupants were. 

Sheba Realty Corp.: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. EX420018RO (9/20/17) [4-pg. doc.]