Evening star., 1925-05-24
The End of the Rent Law.

The End of the Rent Law.
Expiration Of the law under which
the District Rent Commission has
been operating puts an end 10 that
court of appeals for tenants and land
lords. Congress has refused to con.
tinue the commission in service and
has made no substitution of means for
the regulation of rents. SO now condi-
tiOns in the District return to what
may be regarded as a normal state.
with the law OF supply and demand in
operation rather than statutory law.
Apprehension has been felt by ten.
ants in Washington lest upon the ex.
piration of the rent-commission law
properly owners should immedia tely
advance rents. Fer such an advance
there would he no natural or justifi-
able reason. The number OF hous
and apartments and the number Of
tenants are approximately the same
now as during the last year OF the
life Of the commission. No change in
the economic situation has occurred.
There are, if anything. more houses
and apartments now avaiI4 BILE. The
natural tendency Of rents should he
downward rather than upward il any
change occurs. -,
IL has been often urged since the
enactment OF the rent law that normal
adjustment would he more surp and
speedy without such a means OF regu-
q "a Nil IA IL
foreStall reductions of rents Ey ad-
vances. Tenants asked for reduction
for fear Of suffering increases. The
result was an abnormal condition with
no certainty Of equity effected through
appeals.
The rent-commission law undoubted-
ly checked the greed of some owners
who sought to take advantage Of the
city's congestion during and after the
war. At the same time il checked
building development in the District.
which if unhampered through fear OF
repressive legislation and decisions
would more quickly have caught UP
with the comInunitys requirements.
One of the evils from which the Dis
trict has suffered has been the unwar.
ranted in1ati of realty values. The
Rent Commission had no power to
check this procedure. Congress in.
quired into the question and disclosed
some instances of undue overloading
through successive sales and extrava-
CANT commissions and interest in
10 An n,,f -
law looking to the correction OF this
condition. Thus the passing Of the
Rent Commission in no wise affects
this situation.
1t is Of vital Importance to the peo-
pie OF Washington that there should
be enough dwellings for them AT rates
which represent a reasonable but only
a reasonable, profit To the owners
Those who buy should not he com
peiied to pay inflated prices which
make the property poor Investment
for them. Building, therefore. should
better the chance Of the home buyer
and the tenant 10 get what he needs
at fair prices.
1t has been proposed that the Gov
ernment aid in thi, process Of con-
struction by furnishing the capital AS
q loan TO those who wish to construct
dwellings and apartments on a large
scale, to be sold and rented at rea.
sonable profits for the sake of cor
recting the present condition Of strin-
gency. There is, ,dhowever, no law, and,
30 far as disclosed, no adninistrat tive
means for doing this. Private capital
must be relied upon for such works.
1t remains now to be seen whether
with the removal Of what has by real
tors been regarded as menace in the
form Of the rent law there will come
the period Of building enterprise which
will restore normal rela tions between
buyers and tenants on the one ha nd
and builders end owners on the other.
For the sake OF Washington good
name. for the sake Of the welfare of
the community and the prosperity Of
both classes OF consumers and OF the
purveyors OF housing this will come
about.