In New York City, physical changes to the interior of an apartment that are reasonable accommodations and/
or modifications for a disabled tenant in occupancy, such as installing grab bars in bathrooms, that in other
instances might otherwise qualify as an individual apartment improvement increase(s) will not be subject to
such rent increase based on the provisions of the New York City Human Rights Law pertaining to the rights of
individuals with a disability. See N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-107(5). If there are any questions, please contact the
NYC Commission of Human Rights.
X. IAIs and Required Services
When an owner installs an improvement, the item becomes a required service. Owners are required to maintain
and to certify annually to DHCR that all required services, including the IAI, are being maintained. When
an owner fails to maintain a required service or discontinues the service without permission from DHCR, a
rent reduction may be ordered by the agency. DHCR will freeze the rent and order a roll back of the rent to
the prior guidelines rent adjustment including any intervening rent increases for that period until the agency
finds the subject service has been restored upon the owner’s application. See DHCR’s Fact Sheet #35 on the
Collectability of Major Capital Improvement (MCI) and/or Individual Apartment Improvement (IAI) Rent
Increases Where the Rent is Reduced Because of Diminution of Services and Rent Reductions for Decreased
Services, and DHCR’s Operational Bulletin 2014-2 on the Collectability of MCI/IAI Increases Where the Rent
is Reduced Because of Diminution of Services.
XI. RETENTION OF RECORDS