The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-12-04
RENTS
MAY CAUSE
CONGRESS TO.
INVESTIGATE
~ BILL PRICE.

Congressional investigation OF al
legged prOfiteerIng in house renting In
Washington is threatened. Real es-
tate men Of the city said today they
would welcome II as the best means
Of refuting unfair stories afloat.
It is manifest, from reports and
from inquiries, that there have lately
been increases in apartment house
rentals, and a number OF people have
received notice that the prices paid
by them win be increased beginning
January /. Numerous conflicts be-
tween tenants and landlords in the
last few months are TO be settled in
the District courts.
Real Estate Men Deny Charge.
Real estat men admit that there
are instances OF increased rentals,
but declared today that, in the main,
there have been neither advances in
apartment houses nor in single
houses. They 20 further and declare
that, in proportion to the increases in
the high cost OF living generally,
rents in Washington are below what
they should be, but that they are uni
formly discouraging clients from
hoisting rents on the broad policy
that Washington wants to bring every
possible man and woman here TO live.
The assertion il made by the most
responsible men in the real estate
field that the majority OF landlords
still charge no more for rents now
than before the war began. despite
the fact that there is a serious scram-
bic for homes. Without exception the
agents declared that the foundation
for the widespread charges of rent ex-
tortion has been due to two things
the Willingness OF richmen to pay uH-
heard of prices for furnished apart
ments or homes and the speculation
ola few people in furnished apart
ments.
SOIons Hard Put for Homes.
Congressman reaching Washington
for the regular session of Congress
have been bard hit in finding suitable
homes and have had to put UP with
accommodations they were never be-
fore accustomed to or pay prices in
hotels or boarding houses or rent fur
nished places at prices that are sky
high. Some OF them have unhesi-
tating expressed themselves freely
and Indignantly in real estate Offices.
although Informed as to the serious
situation throughout the city.
For months IL has been known that
Washington people have had fabu-
Ious 0ners made them for their fur
nished homes, and many have rented
at the prices practically forced upon
them Families with comfortable
homes have been approached by rep
resentattves OF ealthy men who have
come here to take high Government
positions and asked what they would
rent for. Frequently the have sought
to get nd Of the opportunities by
saying that they would not give up
their homes for less than prices they
thought would be SO high the repre-
sentativeS would be discouraged. The
figures they gave were snapped up
without a minutes delay. The own
ers have had to leave the city or find
quarters with relatives and friends.
Small fortunes have thus been made
for leases of six months or a year.
A new line OF speculation developed
some months ago. A half dozen
shrewd people who foresaw what was
coming here leased apartments from
owners or agents for themselves.
promptly furnished these apartments,
and as promptly sub-rented them at
figures that will pay for the rent and
furniture in a short time.
May Stop Sub-RentiBE.
The real estate exchange has z
committee investigating this partic-
ular situation. Two or three large
apartment house owners have reach
ed the conclusion that they will not
permit sub-leasiIg under circum-
stances that will allow speculation
and thus cause reflection upon them.
Before Washington became SO crowd
ed sub-leasing wss essential II va
cant apartments were TO be rented
at ALL Persons JSsiring TO go away
from Washington IN the summer or
winter seasons insisted upon the
right of sub-reu.ing their apartments
in their absence.
Ita is also admitted in real estate
circles that there IRE individual cases
Of owners OF houses who are uncon-
cerned about broader and patriotic
motives in fair and lenlent treatment
Of renters, and are out for all they
can get in the present stress OF
things. but again the agents say that
these cases are many times out
weighed by the attitude OF most land
lords in declining TO take advantage
OF opportunities for gOuEing that are
plainly theirs.
Another class OF landlords is that
which owned houses heretofore held
at q low scale OF rental for houses