Landlord's Rewiring Work Was Piecemeal

Landlord applied for MCI rent hikes based on rewiring, apartment wall repair, and construction of a new electric room. The DRA ruled against landlord, who appealed and lost. Although landlord listed March 2008 start and end dates for the rewiring work, landlord’s checks, invoices, and contracts showed that the work actually began in early 2007. The DRA therefore properly found that the work was performed piecemeal and was therefore ineligible for an MCI increase. In addition, electrical upgrading requires the installation of new electric service to the building, new copper risers and feeders that extend from the property box in the basement to ever apartment of sufficient capacity at the apartment panel to accommodate the installation of air conditioner circuits and outlets, as well as the actual installation of two double outlets in the kitchen to accommodate heavy-duty appliances. Although landlord obtained DOB permits for the work, there was no indication that the work met the DHCR’s requirements to qualify as an MCI.

BLDG Management Co., Inc.: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. CO430023RO (4/27/16) [2-pg. doc.]