Evening star., 1947-09-07
|Cogswe|| Bans
|15Pct. General
Rent Increases
Refuses to Permit
Roises by Agreement
Of Tenants, Owners

Rent Administrator Robert r.
Cogswell last. night refused to
grant a Is per cent across-the-
board rent increase for WASH
ington landlords or permit them
to raise rents through "volun-
tary" agreements with tenants.
At the same time, however, he
acknowledged that owners Of SINGLE
family dwellings and structures
with eight or less apartments have
been burdened with additional taxes
sufficient to justify relief" He said
he still hoped to find an equitable
solution to their problem.
Mr.. Cogswell's stand on rent in
creases came in reply to letter
from Marshall Davis, president OF
the Building Owners and Managers
| Association of the District. In the
letter Mr.. Davis demanded that the
rent administrator grant general
l6 per cent increase over the mini
mum rent ceilings of 1941 or permit
District property owners to raise
rents under the permissive Gg1ee-
ment clause carried in the Federal
Rent Control Act.
The rent administrator said he
had considered the problem from
every angle and had come to the
conclusion such an increase was
neither proper nor justified"
Tax Burden Recognized.
He added, however. that denial
of the IS per cent across-the-board
increase docs not completely dis
pose of the matter" because Of the
additional tax burden on the smaller
rental properties.
AT the present time" he said, Il
am not prepared to further discuss
the matter than to say that study
of it has convinced me that there
has been a heavy increase in the
tax of single family dwellings and
structures containing not more than
eight apartments, and that equity
and justice requires that the matter
be broken into two groups 1or
further consideration"
When he arrives at an ultimate
decision, he said, the single family
group, numbering 10000 structures,
will be treated separately from the
apartment building group. He estl.
mated $500 structures are classeo
as apartment buildings.
Informed of Mr.. Cogswell's letter.
Rufus Lusk, secretary of the build
| ing owners group said he would
cali al, executive committee meeting
tomorrow or Tuesday to discuss the
rent administrator answer.
This letter does not end the
matter as far as we are concerned"
Mr.. Lusk said. 1--WE snail commune
our campaign"
In denying what he termed Mr..
Davis petition, Mr.. Cogsweu took
issue with the landlords assertion
that the increase in District real
property taxes required immediate
relief through a rent increase.
Tax Increases Cited.
He cited examples to make the
point that "the claim so persistently
pressed that there has been an ex-
ceedingly heavy increase IN real
estate taxes as applied to apartment
building is in reality not true"
In the five apartment buildings
he cited, total tax increases ranged
from So to $18 per year per apart
ment. He contended that the item
of increased taxes which preclpl-
tated the latest demands for rent
increases is probably at or near the
bottom of the list when it comes 10
the question of overall increased
maintenance and operating ex-
penses, with the possible exception
of some of the most valuble build
ings in the city,
Mr.. Cogswell also retorted sharp
ly to Mr.. Davis statement that lano-
lords wanted relief from the lntol-
erable economic burden imposed on
Washington property owners by
rent control"
ut is my opinion" replied Mr..
Cogswell, that this allegation is not
supported by facts when there IS
i - q