Developers frequently complain that the restrictions imposed by preservation agencies on rehabilitations of properties in historic districts are expensive and meddlesome.

In the last few years, however, the value of an authentic historic look has taken on such strong market appeal that developers have been known to add ''historic'' touches to new buildings. The current rush to mirror the architectural features of prewar Manhattan apartment houses is an example.

Now, it seems, history has become such a big seller that it may pay developers to duplicate the objectives of a landmarks commission.

Such was the thinking of Michel Rosenberg when he purchased a row of four vacant and dilapidated 1910 tenement buildings on Garfield Place in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. He bought them for $2.4 million in 1984 with the intention of turning them into 40 moderately priced condominiums. They were neither in a historic district nor individually listed, but they nevertheless had a distinctive character that a sensitive rehabilitation could enhance.

The narrow four-story structures had railroad flats that served the working-class population that had poured into the area in the late 19th century. Each structure was only 28 feet wide. Mr. Rosenberg's intention was to break through the walls that divided the buildings to create a broad sweep consisting of 32,000 square feet of total living space that could be apportioned to suit contemporary users while retaining a turn-of-the-century ambiance.

Creating one structure would also enable him to install a central elevator, an amenity not often found in these walk-up buildings even when they had been renovated.

But what intrigued him most were the facades. They had a sort of mock graciousness - mirroring the look of the one-family brownstone row houses farther down Garfield Place. Metal moldings, for instance, had been used to duplicate the appearance of fluted columns and carved stonework on the bay windows.

Ordinary brick had been painted a dark red to resemble real brownstone. The cornices were intricately carved. ''Underneath all the decay and the layers of paint they were really very beautiful,'' he said. And so he earmarked $75,000 to restore the combined facade, making sure it was an accurate restoration just as if he had been working on a landmark building.

He discovered, however, that since it was not a listed building he would be required to build outside fire escapes for the front apartments. Only if the Landmarks Commission agreed that the facades were architecturally signficant would the building department waive that requirement and allow the use of an interior sprinkler system instead.

Mr. Rosenberg therefore found himself seeking offical sanction for the work he wanted to do anyway. The Landmarks Commission agreed that the facades were well worth preserving and provided the Department of Buildings with a letter to that effect, suggesting that outside fire escapes would be ''detrimental to its architectural integrity.''

To further enhance the historic look Mr. Rosenberg and his architect, Peter Saltini, retained the old bricks when they broke through the walls and used them for exposed brick fireplaces in the apartments. The new flooring was designed to match the original narrow oak flooring.

Walls were finished in an antique white that resembled the look of the old plaster walls. Where possible, the original bay windows became the focal points of interior rooms. And many of the low ceilings were eliminated to provide taller, loft-style spaces with windows on each level.

Since history was not to be the only element of market appeal, Mr. Rosenberg added other features that he maintains are important for the modern family. One is the placement of the second bedroom in a two-bedroom unit. It is far better, he says, to put it at a far corner from the main bedroom, instead of next to it, as is traditional.

''Many people are using those second bedrooms for home offices, dining rooms or even as a den,'' he said. ''So it makes more sense to place one of them right off the living room.''

Further, instead of creating a communual roof garden he decided to give seven top-floor units private wooden patios, each of which could be reached from a staircase inside the apartment. Six ground floor units were given similar private access to individual gardens created in the original backyards.

The apartments range in price from $86,000 for a loft-style studio to $256,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bath unit with private garden. Sizes range from 400 to 1,300 square feet each. Average monthly common charges are $175 including heat. Among the first to sell were the units with rooftop terraces. ''They were gobbled up,'' Mr. Rosenberg said.

Twenty-eight units have been sold, with 13 going to investors who Mr. Rosenberg maintains are able to obtain a positive cash flow - a feature that many developers are striving to create for buyers as a result of the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

photo of renovated tenements on Garfield Place in Brooklyn (NYT/William E. Sauro)