Evening star., 1948-03-31
New Law
Is Effective Tonight;
SO Million Affected

New rent-control legisla ton
affecting 50,000,00o tenants out
side of Washington goes into
operation at midnight.
The law. effective for one year.
was signed late yesterday by Presi-
dent Truman, who criticized its pro-
visions, but said it was better than
no rent control at all"
Although the new law falls short
Of his recommendations the Presi-
dent said in a statement accom-
panying the signing, he had no
choice but to approve it If any con-
trolls were to be retained
Powers to Be Used.
He added:
The administration will do every
thing 1t can under this act to hold
rents to reasonable levels. The
housing expediter will use fully the
power given him to protect tenants
against illegal evictions-a power he
did not have under last years bill.
But We cannot hope to be wholly
successful in holding the line on
rents with the powers granted by
this law. Since the rent control
law was weakened last June. rents
have risen more than 6 per cent
over a period of eight months. With
continuing inflationary pressures
and the extreme shortage Of hous-
ing, the need for effective rent con-
troll continues to be as great as ever.
"It is evident that only through
substantial additions to the supply
of rental housing, especially in the
low and medium price range, can
the need for rent control be elm
mated. I have repeatedly recon-
nended Federal housing program
giving strong support to rental
housing construction. Over a month
ago sent to the Congress special
message containing series Of spe-
cifc recommendation for such
program I hope that the Congress
will soon enact comprehensive
housing legislation Incorporating the
recommendations I have made"
Increases Sanctioned.
The new law sanctions rent in
creases of up to Is per cent when
tenant and landlord can agree on
lease running through 1949. Such
increases would not be permitted,
however, in cases where a tenant
had agreed to similar increase
last year under the old law. The
new law freezes" the rents of such
1r,ta ci1 ,t,.v
through this year, until March 81,
1949.
An emergency court has the final
say over the raising or removing
rent ceilings In any area. The
recommendation Of local rent boards
would bear great weight, however
and the court would have to uphold
them if it found they were based on
adequate and substantial evidence"
The act also provides that:
All hotel accommodations 60
ceiling-free. So do -housekeep- |
ing rooms in homes where there are
not more than two paying guests.
Tenants may be evicted on 60-day
notice if the landlord wants the
dwelling for the personal use of a
member of his family, or plans to
demolish or alter it substantially, |
or decides to take the quarters of
the rental market. :. Il
Controls are removed from dwell
ings covered by leases which were
ended in the first three months of
this year.
Sixty-day eviction notices are re-
quired generally There are exeep-
tions if the. tenant does not pay his
rent or becomes a nuisance. In such
cases local laws govern eviction. i
The act kills the former require
ment that special Federal permits
be obtained for the building OF
amusement places and recreational
facilities.
The latter requirement, which
prevented construction of some race
tracks, night clubs, bowling alleys
and other entertainment spots, was
designed to conserve building mate
rials for home construction.
The Presidents comment on the
housing shortage recalled that Ray
mond M. Foley, Federal housing ad-
ministrator, told House committee
Monday that 100000 new homes
and apartments will have to be built
in the next 10 years to relieve the
situation