St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-05
RENTS IN SAN DIEGO.
Single Rooms Are Worth From
$50 to $50 Per Month.

Single Rooms Are Worth From
$50 to $50 Per Month.
San Diego (Cal.) Union.
"What sort of apartments do you
want?" asked Fifth street agent OF
lady applicant yesterday.
WELL" was the reply, II would like
neat little two-story cOttage-not very
large, eight rooms will be enough-but
it must have nice front parlOr, with
bay window, q wide veranda, and
pretty front yard. 1t must be righa
near the postOtfice, too. Eve heard how
scarce houses are here, and L expect to
pay pretty good price. l suppose such
house would cost as much as $50 a
month, wouldn't ito"
After the lady had gone and the be-
wildered agent had partially recovered
from the shock, he replied to an inquiry
of the reporter. I'VE have great many
applications of that kind. Strangers
coming here have no idea of the rent OF
houses and apartments. Why, house
such as that lady asked for would cost
at least 500 per month.
"High! Well, l should think so. Why.
it is fact that you can't find a single
comfortable furnished room within eight
blocks of the pOStOffice, or anywhere
else, convenient to the business center,
for less than S25 to $50 per month. A
barely-furnished single room can be
had for the former price, but nice
room is likely to cost from $40 to $50 at
least"
kThe conversation was here interrupted
by gentleman who made the usual in
Quiry for rooms. He. however, had re-
ceived a more correct impression re-
Cror 1lin want
rooms, somewhere near the business
center, comfortably furnished, and will
pay about $40 per month for them. l
have spent three days now in looking
for place to live, and am becoming
discouraged. had heard of the scarcity
of rooms here, and on my way down
left my wife and daughter at one of the
small towns, where l knew they could
be comfortable until l had secured
apartments for them. Now L have
about given up, and unless l succeed
to-day, shall leave them there, and do
the best can for myself here"
Taking list from the agent, he
started out OIL his weary tramp through
the mud. The first call was on Tenth
street, where he was offered a little
front room, about eight feet square. for
the modest sum of S25 per month, and
one about the same size, directly back
of it, for S1S. They were very plainly
furnished, and in almost any other city
both together could have been obtained
for from SIS to $50 per moth. The next
prize came lone in box" on Fifth
street, about halfway up the hill. There,
on the second floor, door was opened,
space space Just about large
lent for man to stand in
the center of the room and reach
everything in it, The calm assurance
with which the lady replied 1920 per
month, two for 1885," made the gentle
mans cheek burn with envy. A visit
to the houses in the business center was
even more discouraging, as $50, $50 and
$50 for a single room, and from SIS to
500 for two such as the gentlemen de-
sired, were the only results i'll that quar-
ter. All afternoon the hunt for rooms
continued, and at night the gentleman
declared that he could not get such rooms
as would make his family comfortable
for price within reason. The cause for
this condition of things is not apparent
on the surface. To be sure there is
great rush and scarcity of houses,
which naturally makes rOOm-rent high.
But the real cause lies beyond all this.
There is in San Diego speculation in
houses and rooms, which, though per-
haps perfectly legitimate one, has been
carried almost beyond the limit of en-
durance. Ask the proprietor of house
or building the reason for the eXtOrtiOn-
ate price of rent and the almost invari-
able replysis: ooh. pay so much for
the house, and must get so much more
in order to make profit. l do not own
the house; have lease" Further in
quiry generally reveals the fact that
there is still another lease beyond, so
that the poor tenant is actually paying
an enormous profit to succession of
spectators.
In many cases the present proprie-
tor of a residence property has secured
a lease of the house for term of years
at a fair rental, $40 or $50 per month,
but in subletting the rooms will not be
satisfied with less than that amount for
one or two rooms. The same system
of speculation prevails in the lodging
houses. Leases are given, the different
| floors are sublet, and even the rows on
each side of the halls turned over to
different parties, every one of whom be-
comes a new course of eXtortion. To
say that the result of this speculation
amounts to eXtOrtion is putting it
mildly. Considering the fact that the
people who stay here are compelled to
| pay the prices or sleep outdoors, it ap-
proaches highway robbery.
That is an evil and injury to the city
there can be no doubt. Every day doz-
ems of families who have come here to
find home are compelled to leave,
driven away by the enormous expense
of their immediate necessities. Whether
there is a remedy for the evil is ques-
ton. The speculation which causes it
is legitimate, and it is not likely that
ANYTHING eXcept sufficient increase in
the supply of buildings to meet the
enormous demand will effect a change.
If owners of buildings, interested in the
welfare of the city, would keep their
| property under their own control and
be satisfied with fair profit On their
| investment, it would aid materially in
| their improving the present condition of
affairs. The millennium, how ever, is
| probably not at hand.