New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-02
STRAW TENANTS.
A DEVICE OF LANDLORDS TO HELP LET
APARTMENTS.


The straw tenant" is abroad in the land and
he attracts more attention at this time Of the
year than the straw bondsman the straw voter
and the other men OF straw who flourish In
communities where the government methods are
fashioned on Tammany principles. The straw
tenant, like the other straw men, Is conspirator
who is the chief aid to the owners OF apart
ment houses which for sale and who wish to
make a good showing for their house and
demonstrate to the possible purchaser the de
STABILITY Of the property.
THE man who invests in mercantile com
modify usually does with view to what ne
will receive in return" said real estate man,
"and II that is the with stocks and bonds
drygoods or 'industrials why should 1t not be
50 with real estate? A house which has us
quota Of tenants is easier to dispose Of than
one which may be equally well built and equally
we'll located but only partially occupied, and the
cunning real estate man who recognizes this
fact fills up the vacant spaces with stra" ten
ants II the investor makes searching inquiry
and finds that number Of tenants have been
favored with several months rent free he Is
likely to become suspicious and break of ne
gotiations but there are many purchasers who
take matters as they find them and when they
have acquired the property they awaken to the
fact that they have number Of apartments
to let.
THE straw tenant is useful to the owner in
other instances also, AM people who are willing
to lend themselves for the purpose and TO pay
moving expenses frequently worry along through
long periods without paying rent. Houses or
apartments in which tragedies have taken place
are often difficult to rent until the 'cuss has
bar han
allow such places to remain empty and the
prejudice against them to grow landlords NIL
them full Of straw"
There are times when the landlord is justified
in putting straw people into his house when he
has no choice between that course and serious
loss. An instance Of that kind was spoken Of by
the real estate man, who said: There Is an
apartment in a large well-built modern house
uptown where two children died Of diphthe1a
within week. The place was fumigated by
the employees Of the Health Department. the
plumbing and drainage were examined and
found to be in perfect condition. but the family
moved away. AS soon as the apartment became
vacant the owner had 1t thoroughly overhauled
Every wall was scraped, and before It was re-
decorated the place fumigated again under
the direction Of the health authorities. Several
months later the apartment was billed 70 let.
and although many people looked at II and some
Of them went far to take refusals 1t re-
NAMED empty The landlord heard that some
one invariably sent word to the people VINO
wanted to take the place that there was diph-
iberia in the apartment. He could not deny the
story, although he knew that all danger from
that source had been destroyed, and he put an
end to the matter by taking in straw tenant
aIIf he in he the
time agreed upon over the man became a
paying tenant. and has had only good luck IN
the place which would probably have remained
vacant if the straw system had not been re-
sorted to-"