The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-11-22
RENTS IN WASHINGTON.


Higher Than in Other Cities.
The annual influx of strangers that marks
the approach Of new session Of Congress is
now under full headway. Besides the mem
bers of Congress many Of whom come to the
Capital for the first time, there are thousands
of others drawn hither by business or social
interests, who are gathering in Washington
and for several months will make the city
their home. A large percentage of the new
corners will live at hotels or in boarding
houses, but another considerable percentage
are intent on setting up establishments Of
their own, some in furnished rooms, others in
apartment houses, ana still others In separate
residences. A large part of the business of
real estate men just now consists of providing
these newcomers with the sort of rooms, flats,
or residences they require. And the real estate
men say that they are hearing frequently
again the old complaint about the rate of
houserental in Washington. which is COM
pared with rates prevailing In other cities of
the same size as Washington and even of
larger size. These comparisons are unfavor-
able to Washington, where it is charged house
rent is considerably higher than elsewhere.
"a curious fact about the people who
make these complaints" said real estate
man, whose views, as interviews by HERALD
reporter showed, were generally shared by
others in the business, sis that they all unite
In pralsing the beauty of the city, its wide,
clean, smoothly paved streets, its many and
beautifully kept parks, its splendid public
school system, its magnificent public and prl-
vste buildings, the good order that prevails
here, and generally the extraordinary at
fractions of the city materially and socially
as place of residence. They all unite in this
sort Of laudatory talk regarding Washington,
and can hardly express their pleasure at the
prospect of coming to live here"
"In Short" the real estate man continued,
''they arc charmed with all the advantages
which residence here affords, and they readily
admit that Washington Is in every way the
most desirable city in America for refined, in
telligent people, who are interested in some
thing besides money-making and are fond of
good society, to live in. But when they come
TO the question of rents their enthusiasm cools
They complain that rents are higher than
they have been accustomed to pay in other
cities, which they have just admitted are not
to be compared TO Washington in those ma
teria and social attractions which make
city desirable as place OF residence. In other
words, they recognize all the advantages
Washington Offers but they fail to remember
that these advantages-fnely paved streets,
numerous parks, model government, splen-
did pubic schools, etc.,-cost big money to
maintain, increase the value Of real estate, and
have tendency to make rents little higher
than they are in cities which have not these
advantages. They are eager to enjoy the
pleasures Of life in the National Capital but
they are somewhat reluctant to pay for these
pleasures. That's about the size of the mat
ter"
Another factor in the case, which real estate
men interviewed by The HERALD reporter
generally pointed out as tending naturally
and lcgitimately to increase the price of real
estate and therefore Of rent in Washington,
was the large number Of wealthy people from
different sections who have come here of late
years to make their home. These people are
ready and willing to pay the highest prices for
desirable sites on which to build their houses.
II they want particular piece of property
they win not let few thousand dollars more
or less stand in the way Of getting it. Real
estate like everything else Is worth what II
Will bring in the open market, and Washing
ton real estate holders, 1t was pointed out,
would be fools if they didn't get all they
could for their property. This feature of the
business here has inevitably had the tendency
to raise real estate prices generally, especially
in the fashionable northwestern section; and
rents, which are founded on real estate values,
have gone up correspondingly.
Then the fact that the population of Wash
ington fuctuates so widely, being largest
when Congress is in session and falling of
when it adjourns, was indicated as another
good cause for some of the difference In the
rent rate between this and other cities. Where
househodeTs have tenants who will remain
all the year round and year after year, they
can afford to accept smaller rental than
where their tenants take houses only for q
few months, and the houses are liable to re-
main empty waiting for new tenant when
the old one goes out when Congress adjourns
or the hot season sets in. House-owners are
obliged TO make a fair average rental for the
year while their houses are occupied during
The busy season.
Another factor in the social economy OF
Washington, which has a considerable effect
Is the scale of wages paid by the Government
10 It's employees. This scale is much higher
than prevails in commercial cities and the pri-
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