This piece appeared in the Real Estate Section of Sunday's New York Times :
Your Design Taste Versus the Landlord's
by JAY ROMANO
Q Some time ago our landlord put up larger apartment numbers next to each door, even though we already had numbers. I thought they were ugly, so I took mine down. After receiving a threatening letter, I put them back. Now I am getting a $400 charge on my rent bill. Is this legal?
A "Tenants are typically required to accept a landlord's design decisions for a building's common areas," said Lucas A. Ferrara, a Manhattan real estate lawyer. So unless a lease provides otherwise, a tenant has no right to make changes or alterations in common areas without the owner's consent. He says that many leases hold a tenant responsible for the costs incurred by an owner to undo any unauthorized modifications, including fees for the drafting of the letter.