The Indianapolis journal., 1902-09-28
The Question Is One That Is Perplex-
ing to Rental Agents in the
Big Cities.
LANDLORDS ARE 0BDURATE
THEIR CHIIDLEss TENANTS OBJECT
TO THE NOISE.
An Increased Activity in the Real
Estate Market-Mortgages and
Releases Recorded.

With the rush to apartment houses,
which is now the feature in rentals, comes
the question. what is to be done with the
chiIdren? When apartment houses were
first built in Indianapolis the question Of
children did not enter into the signing Of
leases, but now. since they have become
established and are in demand, children. in
many cases, are the principal consideration
in renting. Very few of the first-class
apartment houses in the city allow fam
flies with small children as tenants. so the
apartment house population generally rep
resents childless married couples or mar
ried people with children that have reached
the 'age OF behavior" But the little fel-
lows, from the size that COOS in its crib
and cries at night to the romping boy or
girl OF nine or ten, is the stumbling oiocK
for parents who want fats for the winter.
The polling OF number OF real-estate
and rental agents in the city indicates tnat
landlords, as a rule, do not care TO rent
property to persons with families, and fiat
owners absolutely prohibit 1t. 1t is not IN
frequent for landlords to refuse to rent
their houses to persons with children The
first and principal objection to them Is that
they are destructive. This Is marked
down against children in houses, but In
flats they are also charged with being de-
structive and noisy. Real-estate men take
different views of the question, some say
ing that families should not be barred,
others that they ought to be barred. and
still others contending that a fiat is no
place for children anyway, and that 1t Is
wrong for parents to pen little ones up and
virtually make prisoners" Of them.
DOWNTOWN FLATS.
Flats in Indianapolis are mostly located
In the congested parts Of the city and are
not distributed over the residence districts
as In other cities. Through economy every
inch of space has been utilized. On ac-
count of this crowded condition real-estate
men are of opinion that children are better
off outside of flats, because there is no
place near them for recreation or play.
What amusement and recreation they get
must be in the apartment house or on the
street, and here comes the problem OF
noise. Children must play, and most per-
sons who can afford fiat are not Wiling
to have their children play in the street,
and the result is they are given the halls
and corridors. Were a flat entirely popu-
lated with families it is said there would be
little complaint of the noise, because par
ents would either not notice Ii or would be
reconciled on account of their own. But as
none of the flats in Indianapolis is entirely
poplated with families and the majority OF
the tenants are persons without cnllurSn,
there is no harmony, and landlord Is
forced TO either lose a childless couple or
make the family Vacate. As children are
considered destructive and flats are erected
for investment purposes only, the family,
a rule, has to go.
There are a few firSt-claSS flats where
children are allowed, and some landlords
limit the number to one but draw the line
at two So long as child is alone they
say il will not make much disturbance, or
Is not so apt to be destructive, but when
furc. eypf her frIrh q
to follow. Ii matters rot how many sides
there are to the question, 1t Is fact that
families with children have gradually been
eliminated from flats and restrictions re-
garding them are becoming more impera-
tive each season, until now 1t is almost i'm
possible for a family to get fiat in a de-
sirable location.
a PARTIAL SOLUTION.
A partial solution Of the problem has
been accomplished by the erection of flats
with private entrances. and in these re-
strictions are not so severe. There Is more
privacy and less opportunity for children to
disturb the childless tenants. and the chill
dren also have a better opportunity to get
fresh air and play. Some of the apart
ment houses built recently have small pri-
vate yards and these, in a measure, allie
viate the situation with regard TO play
ground. but they do not solve the problem.
The ground Is not big enough. Or in other
instances the small yards are grass plots
and children are not allowed on them.
In some of the larger cities the question
has been taken up in connection with in
Ierests other than high percentages, and
Fairgrounds have been provided for the
children. The agitation in behalf of tenants
with children first began with the large
tenement houses, and movement was
started to get the children out and provide
a place for resreation. This reform has
been realized to a great extent in many
OF the larger cities, but the problem that
now seems to be confronting real-estate
men is how to get families into flats.
Parents In no small number desire flats
for their own convenience. and also as a
measure of economy, particularly in the
winter time. but the situation has become
such that the man who is either fortunate
unfortunate enough to have a family of
children must take up his abode in a house
or cottage for the winter. whether he likes
III or not.