New-York tribune., 1919-12-30
Hirsch Orders Form of Con-
tract Drawn TO Stop Rent
Profiteering and Other
Exorbitant ID III an d
Harsh Deal Is Revealed
Documents Used Forcing
Tenants to Pay Taxes and
Not Binding Landlords

Following publication in The Trib
une last Saturday of ono of the city'
prize profiteer leases, Nathan Hirsch
chairman of the Mayors Committee OF
Rent Profiteerlng. said yesterday he
had instructed Leo Kenneth Mayer
counsel to the committee, to begin al
once the DRAWN. Up Of universal
or model form oi lease contract which
will be fair to t tenant as we'll as tC
the landlord.
While there is no law by which &
standard form of lease can be fore ed
on apartment landlords, M Mayer ex
plaincd that the need for mode
contract form which is not arbitrary
and harsh from the side of the land
lord is only TOO obvious.
Real estate men or landlords w,j1
be asked by the committee to adopt
the model as y guide, and if tenant
should be required to sign another OF
one-sidcd contract the legal services
Of the committee viii bc at his dis
posal, Mr. Mayer SAID
1t is the opinion Of David Hirscn-
field, Commissioner Of Accounts. As
we'll as that Of Mr. Mayer and Julius
Applebaum, another OF the committee /,
attorneys, that any tenant sutferne
under an ineouitable lease can and
should obtain redress from a court o.
equity.
Another Strict Lease
The Tribune received another
blank lease Yesterday similar to the
one described in Saturdays issue
This one differs in few respects
from the first, and is in use by real
estate firm operating several large
apartment and Office buildings in ehe
neishborhood of Forty second Stree
and Fifth Avenue. This lease pro-
vides that:
The tenant shall pay as part of his
rent a certain percentage OF the taxes
imposed on the property Of the land
lord.
Any plate glass broken. through
whatever cause, must be paid for by
the tenant, who is also required to
pay the insurance premiums thereon
The tenant must pay for all repairs
and damage tc the property, and
agrees to admit at any time the land
lord or his agents for the purpose of
cleaning the apartment III the
tenants expense
Restrictions on Shades
No wiadow shades or curtains shall
be placed IN or abou, the premises
without the written permission Of the
landlord
The tenant must pay as part of
his rent any increase OF the premium
inc,
Elevator service and heat fur
nished gratuitously by The landlord
are 10 part of the rent considera
uon,' and in case either should be
suspended the tenant valves all
rights to damages
The tenant cannot have a piano
and is prohibited from playing any
musical Instrument on the premises.
The landlord may cancel The lease
at any time.
The tenant must pay FOR his water
Such clauses. particularly the ont
permlttng the landlord to terminate
the lease at any time, SAID Mr. MAYER
make the contract absolutely worth
less and one by which no tenant could
be legally bound.
Arbitrary" leases, such as the +wo
described in The Tribune. are. accord
ing to Mr.. Applebaum. typical of the
outrages committed by protiteerina
landlords in New York And when i
landlord requires tenant TO pay {
part OF the taxes resulting from in.
creased assessments these assess.
ments the direct result of increased
valuation through increased rentals
the tenant receives u double dose O,
proiiteerinP
These unjust leases are responsible
IN no small degree, for prevailing un-
rest and un-American demonstrations
Real estate operators who employ sucl
leases forget that they are FOSTERING
dangerous agitation. The harsh condi
tons under which tenant is REQUIRED
to subscribe are due. however. not Sc
much to the owner Of the property as
70 the spectators in apartment leas.
ng These spectators lease Who'll,
buildings, then suitcase the apart
menIs
Situation Called Menace
"Inless our Legislative bodies take
notice Of The situation the pnbli,
eventually Will take things into its OWL
hands,
Mr.. Mayer said that each day he re
celved an average Of half dozen com.
plants from tenants dissatisfied with
the arbitrary regulations imposed or
them by their landlords
Royal Scott Guloen. a real estate
broker Of 512 Fifth Avenue. EXPIRE sed
the opinion Neste rday that such a lease
as the model one being drawn up by the
Mayors committee would be welcome ed
by most landlords Too often. h,
added, a tenant signs without reading
his lease, and for this reason the
model should be shorter and therefore
simpler.