Evening star., 1920-02-18
BOARDS APPROVAL
MUST Be SECURED
T0|NCREASE RENT
Will Require Landlord to
Show Good Cause for
Higher Rate.
Approval BY the District rent com

Approval by the District rent COM
mission will be necessary in every
case in which an owner, landlord or
agent desires to increase the rent
of a house. apartment or rooms. ac-
cording to statement today by Sec
retary Roper Of the commission:
Unless a tenant agrees, without
compulsion, to the proposed increase
in rent. Secretary Roper said. the
commission will in every case re-
quire the landlord or his agent 70
show absolutely good cause for tire
increase before y will be sanctlenf d
In cases where the owner. landlorl
or agent is able to show to the COM
missions entire satisfaction that rent
increases are justified, the increases
will be approved. Otherwise the COM
mission will advise tenants to pay
no attention to possible threats of
eviction or other drastic proceedings
on the part of landlords, but to con-
tinue paying the usual rent at the
usual time.
Secretary Roper stated today that
the only policy Of the commission in
adjudicating disputes between ten
ants and landlords will be a fair, i'm
partial and strict Interpretation of
the law under which the commission
was created. The law. he said. pro-
vides that the interests of the tenant
are to be given first consideration,
and the commission will bear this in
mind in handling cases that come be-
fore it. However. Secretary Roper
said, this does not mean that justice
is to be denied to the landlord, but
merely that tenants rights. according
to the wording of the law, come ahead
of those of the landlord.
r. is to be the commissions policy,
Secretary Roper said, to keep close
watch on cases where landlords. fore
oI 70
the cost of such repairs on to tenants.
Unless 1t can be shown that the re-
pairs were excessively. costly; that
they were made to satisfy a whim OF
the tenant, or that the tenant ex,
pressly agreed to pay an increased
rent in consideration of the repairs
being made, owners will not be al
lowed to base increased rents on the
fact of having made repairs In cases
where landlords refuse to make neces-
sary repairs, tenants are advised to
report the matter to the health de-
partment or the District of Columbia
building inspector, as the commission
has no authority in such matters.
Care ~ to EvietiOns.
The bona fdes of owners or others
seeking to evict tenants on the ground
of desiring to gain possession Of
property for their own use and oc-
cupancy is to be closely watched by
the commission, Secretary Roper said.
The rent law provides that purchasers
or owners of property who seek pos
Sc ssion for their own use may. on a
proper showing of fact and good faith.
obtain such possession on giving the ten
ant legal notice to quit. Owners also may
obtain possession, according to the law,
Secretary Roper said. if they desire
to tear down building to make room
for another, or il they desire to make
alterations such as would convert a
building from its original form and
use to a structure to be used for
other purposes. Realizing that ad-
vantage might be taken of this pro-
vision, the commission will maintain
the closest scrutiny of all cases in
which owners or agents seek pos
session on the ground of wanting to
raze a building and erect another, and
if later developments are not salts
factory to the commission appropriate
steps will be taken.
It is not the commissions purpose,
Secretary Roper said, in this state
ment of policy. to hamper property
owners or agents in the proper han
ding, possession or enjoyment of
their properties, to administer The
law to the manifest disadvantage Of
fpwners or agents. or to the unfair
advantage of tenants: on the con-
trary, be said. the commission will
cndeavor to handle every case that
comes before it on the individual
merits of the case, interpreting the
| law according to the strict letter and
without bias further than may be
| found in the wording OF the statute
itself