The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-23

but the next tenant does insist that the place
shall be made over before she moves tni
and although big families don't move 90
often as smaller ones, at the same time
there IL more or less OF q shake-up In the
tenements once a year.
AT any rate. balls and stairs and the
front door must be put in presentable
condition about once a year.
what Is the average annual cost OF re-
pairs In a double FIVE story tenementl'
the agent was asked.
Anywhere from 500 10 $500. Including
taues, the cost Of maintaining a tenement
Of this class may go as high az $3.50
And IN spite Of this tax does the property
pay q bigger percentage than the swell
apartment houses more centrally looatedI
SYes, and better than most office build
ngs, which are popularity supposed 70 be- a
sort Of gold mine 20 the owners-liks the
Flatron Building, for instance"
why then do landlords object 20 letting
rooms to big families of children1' the
NsFor this reason: We're the destructive
features mentioned eliminated, the income
from the property would bs even larger.
This Is a get-roh-quick age, you know.
The money making possibilities OF large
families for the owners Of low priced tene-
ment houses we're emphasized by John
Monaghan. a real estate dealer and builder
In The Bronx, who recently gained fame
by letting Il be known that ohildless couples
or families Of adults need not apply for
ooommodations In any OF his houses.
AT the present time Mr.. Monaghan owns
1--WE or six frame houses in a sparsely popu-
lated part Of The Bronx, two OF which repre-
sent what was once the old fleetwood race
track house, with a frontage OF nifty and
depth Of seventy feet. When its present
owner got possession he ran partition
through the centre from top to bottom and
fitted up each floor OF both houses with
housekeeping quarteB 10 accommodate
q separate tenant.
oh the sir families now occupying the
premises none is without children: One
family leads Of with nine children, all under
fifteen years, and another has eight.
Near by, two other private dwellings are
being transformed by Monaghan into apart
ment houses and on the corner OF iooth
street within the year two five story brick
buildings will be put UP by him for the
accommodation Of families with children
only. The average rent Of the apartments
In the Monaghan houses is 81 a month for
IT Is a big mistake, : said Mr.. Monaghan
whom approached on the subject, TO make
me out philanthropist, fitting up houses
out Of pity for the mothers Of big families
who find J. hard 70 &c, Lying quarters else
Il am not in this business from charitable
motives, but simply because there is money
In it. ] long ago found out that family
which included a lot Of children was the
best paying tenant landlord could have.
The man with a half dozen OF more chill
dren can't afford to move often and he
isn't apt TO want to move at all on account
Of his children wanting TO go on attending
the same public school. Then such tenants
don't want their rooms trimmed up fresh
every few months, knowing that the dam
age has been done by their own children.
In fact they are apt to be shy about calling
my attention to how much damage has been
done,
big family generally pays his rent mere
promptly than a man with no children,
and Is a better sort Of neighbor to have
around. haven't lost three month"; rent
IN FIVE wears from big families, and II Is
the famIlies which include only grown ups
which have given me the most bother.
$50 j have a rule now 70 rent only TO
families with children and to plan apart
ments which can be let for about So a
sYes, It can be done up here and at
good profit, cay, a clear per cent, which
means a first profit Of 10 per cent
but would men who work In distant
parts Of the city be willing to move their
families out here?'
well, the best answer to that Is that
most Of my tenants are men who work In
the neighborhood OF the Grand Central
Station, and even further downtown than
that.
why do I turn down adults who apply
for roomsl For this reason:
Persons who have children Of their own
constantly hanging around them are not
apt to object 10 the noise Of other folks
children; in fact, they don't seem 10 bear
il at all. Take a woman, though, who
has no such disturbance in her own rooms
and she generally hears every yell Of her
neighbours children and Is sure TO com-
plain that she can't get a minutes peace.
Il had one tenant like that, who never
gave me a minutes peace until invited
her TO leave, and when the last load Of her
furniture left the house / said with a sigh Of
relief: Never again. No more childless
couples get into my houses