Landlord Replaced Keys But Wouldn't Give Tenant Additional Copy

Tenant complained of a reduction in building-wide services after landlord changed service from a traditional metal key to a key fob system without prior DHCR approval. The DRA ruled for tenants and reduced their rents. Landlord appealed and lost. Landlord claimed that it didn't modify services but instead changed the defective building entrance door lock and gave tenant two building entrance door keys. Landlord claimed that there was no key fob. Tenant said that landlord changed the keys to a restricted key and that landlord hadn't provided copies for all of tenant's family members. The DHCR found that tenant's rent was correctly reduced. The landlord changed the door lock to one requiring non-duplicable keys but didn't give tenant a requested additional key for her husband, in violation of DHCR policy. Therefore, the rent reduction was warranted although failure to obtain prior DHCR approval to modify services wasn't the proper reason for the rent reduction.

164-03 LLC: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. EW110010RO (7/26/18) [4-pg. doc.]