Landlord Removed Three Square Feet of Tenant's Closet Space

Tenant complained of a reduction in services based on landlord's removal of a portion of tenant's closet space. The DRA ruled for tenant and reduced his rent. Landlord appealed and lost. Landlord said that it had put up a wall in tenant's closet temporarily while running piping through that part of the building, and that after a permanent wall was installed, tenant would lose only three square feet of closet space. Also, tenant's initial lease allowed landlord to gain access into the apartment to install piping. The DHCR said that as long as the temporary wall was still in place, tenant didn't have a substantial portion of his prior closet space. The DRA's order stated that once landlord installed the permanent wall, it could apply for an order modifying required services to tenant's apartment.

22 RSD Dominion Mgmt. Corp.: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. UF410020-RO (10/20/06) [3-pg. doc.]