Evening star., 1951-05-28
D. {. Rent Chief
Urges Hotels
Be RecontroIIed
Ceilings Also Advised
On Certain Properties
Never Before Curbed
By Harold B. Rogers

Recontrol of hotel rents and
control for the first time of new
residential property which has
never been under curbs were
recommended today by District
Rent Administrator Robert F.
Coeswell. backed by the District
Commissioners.
Proposing a major revision of
the present District rent control
law, Mr.. Cogswell suggested a
two-year extension of curbs from
their present termination June 80
to June 80, 1858.
Mr.. Cogswell laid his proposals
before the House Judiciary sub
committee which opened two days
of hearings on proposed extension
of the local rent act. The group
recessed at noon until 2 pm.
Chairman Harris indicated at
the start of the hearing that the
committee felt major changes
should be considered in the law
because the present act is based
on 1941 economic conditions.
Commissioners Plan Hearing.
District Commissioners Russell
Young and F. Joseph Donohue
told the subcommittee they ap-
proved the Cogswell bill as sub
mitted, but would hold public
hearings Of their own soon On the
whole problem.
To relieve the condition of land
lords who have not had substantial
increases in the rental on their
property since l941, the rent ad-
ministrator recommended 20 per
cent increase in rent.
Any raises which these landlords
have been granted since 1941
would be deducted from the 20
per cent.
All rents would be frozen as of
January l of this year.
In brief resume of the major
changes recommended, Mr.. Cogs-
well said they were designed to
meet present day conditions.
Proposed Changes Listed.
They would:
/. Provide for the recontrol of
some units heretofore decon-
trolled.
2. ReinState the criminal pen
atty provisions of the original act.
8. Establish a more realistic
rent freeze date for efficient ad-
ministrative procedure.
Equalize rents and services on
comparable units as far as prac-
ticable and make some changes
in administrative procedure to
promote efficient and prompt
handling of adjustment matters.
Although hotels would be put
back under rent controls. Mr..
Cogswell recommended that room
ing houses, boarding houses OF
lodging houses remain free from
control for the present. But, he
pointed out, they should be Sub
ject to their being controlled
hereafter, if under circumstances
set for their end, the administra-
tor is of the opinion that the de-
mand for this type of housing
accommodation has been sufi
GENTLY acute to justify control "
Rollback to 1850.
Hotels would be recontrolled on
July /. 1851 at the highest rental
rate charged for transient ac-
commodations during the calen-
dar year 1850. This, in effect, the
witness explained would freeze
all transient hotel accommoda-
tions at the rate prevailing or
January /. 1851"
Bona fide purchasers of CO
operative apartments would be
permitted to obtain possession Of
these apartment units for THEN
own use as dwellings, Mr.. Cogs-
we'll proposed. He related diff
culties that buyers have had in
getting into their own quarters
To take care of possible greater
emergency in the future for hous-
ing, the witness proposed that
residential property in areas nov
zoned as "A-restricted" could be
used for rental housing accommo-
dationS,