Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-14

Is rented for a period Of from five
| 70 tWetny years. The more valuaole
| the property the more this condition
IS insisted on by tenants: Is 1t amaz;
| ing that the rental values as wen
as the physical values of property IN
and G streets. or any prominent
business street in the city, are three
or four times more than they were
eighteen Or twenty years ago!
1t has been asserted by authorl-
titled to expect carefully weighed
statements that rents were increased
100 per cent during the fall OF 1921.
There Is no truth in the assertion
as applied to rentals In general
throughout the District for. the Pc
Rod in question. In isolated instances
it is. of course, possible that profit
eering has been INDUCED in. Yet In
a vast majority Of cases any careful
study of the facts would show that
there has .been practically-if not
eXactly-no- change in the level OF
District rentals during the past two
years.
anything that handicaps the de-
velopment of business property will
proved detriment to the District of
Columbia. When you upset true real
estate values you disturb the very
foundation of security.
Disadvantages Pointed Out.
Some of the disadvantages of rent
legislation in Washington today are
as follows:
In residence property an owner
| may rent a house to a tenant on a
monthly lease, with the understand
ing that the house may be sold should
an opportunity present itself. Many
tenants who rent houses refuse to
| allow prospective purchaser to in
spect ii. This action is upheld by
! the rent commission. That is why
owners of SO many vacant houses
that are for sale refuse to rent for
temporary use.
Another condition Is that anyone
leaving Washington for limited
time hesitates to rent his house dur
I ing his absence. He knows he may
not be able 10 get possession when
| he requires the house for his own use.
This may seem extraordinary to men,
,, bers of Congress, but it rs an actual
fact.
The rent commission is trying
cases which were brought up last
May. Consequently. its functioning
is about nine months behind the
needs of today.
Contracts Declared Ignored.
Another very unfair condition
growing out of the present rent legis-
lation is the absolute ignoring of
contracts by tenants.
An owner will make lease agree
ment with A tenant calling for a def
mite rental. and very often goes to
material expense in arranging the
property to meet the requirements
lease and takes possession of the
property. and the following month he
may. as many of them have done.
appeal to the rent commission. If, in
the 'opinion of the comissiop. the
rental being paid is excessive, the
70 nf iS Cd RI a
as the commission may designate.
quite regardless of the legality of
the lease and it's terms.
If. on the other hand, conditions
are such as to warrant higher
rental. due to the natural enhance
ment in the value of the property, an
owner who holds a lease at a low
rental-regardles of what that prop
crty might bring today-cannot ap-
peal to the rent commission and have
Illus lease set aside because he is not
receiving adequate rental.
1T is detrimental enough to have
this condition apply to residence
property, but 1t is ruinous when
brought to bear on business property.
"Iniquity Of Rent Law"
"A concrete case. demonstrating the
lniquity of the rent law as today ap-
piled is that of the purchase of an
old building at the northwest cor
The property was acquired for the
purpose of Immediately erecting a
modern. fireproof business building,
to cost In the neighborhood OF
100000. exclusive of the value of the
land. This building was to bs erected
to meet the demands + or modern
business accommodations in thai sec
ton Of the city.
There was only one lease on this
property when the present owners
purchased tan Italian conducting
fruit store. who paid 5000 per month
on lease that would expire next
September. AS the new owners were
very anxious to begin Immediately.
they purchased the Italians lease for
the sum of $500. Upon receipt of
this sum the Italian vaeated his store.
The owners then served notice on
the other tenants in the building. all
of whom held monthto- month rent
agreements. At the expiration of this
notice no one moved. The owners
promptly took the case before the
rent commission. 1t developed that
under the law it is impossible to dis
possess these tenants because a por-
ton of the building is occupied as