Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-02-01
MOVING DAY.
eCARCITY OF SMALL HOUSES
AN INCREASE IN RENTS.
Ths PFOspesss For tho Coming
YesP-Whss Some OF the Reel
Estate Agents Think Of the
Outlook The Difference
IN l. Q u d I O d.

Estate Agents Think Of the
Outlook - The Difference
n l. n d o ds.
The demand for small houses thi
year Is almost unprecedented. Peopl
are running here and there, and th
two questions uppermost are, "are yOl
going TO move" and "have you got ;
house," The landlords taking advan
tage of the demand have almost invari
ably raised the rents, and houses tina
rented last year for 81 or $40 per montt
are now being rented for $40 and Sl2
The great trouble seems to be thai
although there were a large numter o.
houses built last year, there were moi
enough to keep pace with the increase
in population. If the four or FIVE new
enterprises that are contemplated, art
| Cas- no doubt they will be) carried to a
successful termination, it will cause a
still greater increase in our population
and a greater demand for houses nexl
year. More small houses will have tt
be built, and homes provided tor the
hundreds of workingnen who will be
a, tracied to this city by our large man
ufac Ories and varied industries. This
is a matter that should claim the atten-
tion of our capitalists; there are thOus
ands Of dollars of unemployed capital
i'll this city that would pay good rave
of interest, if invested in small houses
for mechanics and workiDgmer.
What is needed, are four, five and six
| hn kSa a
prices that workiLgmen can afford to
pay. There are a number of vacant
lots in the eastern section of the city,
that are admirably adapted for build
ing purposes and houses erected on
Them would be eagerly sought after, as
they would be convenient to many OF
the largo manufacturing establish.
| uents.
Some of the real estate agents in this
city say that they would not have any
difficulty in getting good tenants tor al
least one hundred small houses, but as
general thing they have none to rent.
IL is not only the scarcity of houses
hat has tended to increase the rents,
hut in many instances persons have
gone to landlords who owned desirable
properties, and offered them increased
rent for the coming year. Many OF the
houses that were built last year were
put up for the purpose Of being sold
and consequently are not in the market
for tenants.
Landlords are, as general thing,
somewhat careful to whom they rent
their bOuses; some don't want a family
with children, Others don't object to
two or three, while still others won't
rent their houses to q large family even
if they are all adults So it often nap
pens that when house hunter, after
days of search finds a house that suit is
h IN, he finds that he does not suit the
landlord.
Some years ago a gentleman in Phila
delphla who was de irous of changing
his residence, started out in search OF
q hou se; be visited ii number Of owners
and agents, bit they all objected to rent
to him on account of his family being
so large, until finally out of all manner
of patience, he concluded to make just
one more effort and then quit; he ac-
cordingly visited another agent and
stated his wants, when again came the
question how many children have
you?" The gentleman who by this time
had thoroughly lost his temper snarled
our, swell I've got six but it it will be
any accommodation Pll drownd four
or i've of them, and left the office dis
gusted with house hunting. Whether
any OF tie ci,ize' $ of Wilmington have
met with the same experience Is not
known. There is a great difference in
tenants; some are as careful of u house
as though it belonged to them, while
others seem to try and destroy every
thing they can.
There is another class of tenants who
think that each month the landlord
should make some repairs to the house.
they imagine that this room wants pa
pering and another room wants paint
ing, and so it goes on until finally the
landlord becomes Disguised anu pays
no attention to anything except getting
his rent Some persons Will rent a
house at almost any rent the owner may
demand, and after pa, ing for few
mouths, will manage TO GET behind
month or two and some night take a
moonlight excursion and leave the
landlord an empty house, and couple
of months rent due. Of course such
tenants are the exception, and the ma
Ority of renters are as anxious TO pay
their rent as the landlords are to re
ceive it,
There are also a vast difference in
Landlords s: some are always ready to
| make all necessary repairs, and do all
| in their power TO make their tenants
comfortable, while Others again "ill
never do anything and let their houses
20 to decay and still want INCREASED
rents each year.
There has been great deal said about
the landlord and tenant law, bit as Il
u neral thing 10 honest person need
| nave much fear Of that To be sure
the provisions of the law are cry Strln-
gent, but lhele are very fe " landlords
" ho it tenant should be unfortunate C
and through sickn IS or any other
trouble b. unable to pay their rent
thai will take their goods. There are
of course, exceptions, but as general
thing the fault is as much with the
tenant as the landlord, and there are
not many who, if they are no est. ir :
dustrious and sober men but will iLd
assist them in the event of their being
overtaken by sickness and trouble.
After the trouble and vexatioh -
find ng house has been go ne ,hroul b
with, the next thing on the programm'
is moving day. TIE wagon driver tn;
has been engage to come at o'clock
in the morning with his teams IS very
ant to come ABOUT & and if everything
is not ready for his highness Cor DC II
known that on that day the teamster
rules supreme,) he will drive of in a
huff and possibly MT come back and
there will b. another Lmily movein on
the luckiess tenant before he can ge'
out; erybody is in a hurry and tht
goods that are brought in are mixed
With those that are ready to b. takel
out and it would almost take the WIS
dom Of Solomon to set things to right
After the moving is completed and the
| ,,nIa fum hi. n INTO the new residence