HOUSING PROBLEMS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 170, 5 August 1937, Page 4

HOUSING PROBLEMS

Our Own Correspondent.)

Home-Hunters in Auckland THE "FAIR RENTS" ACT

(From

A u OKJ-iAND, Tins may. The administration of the Fair Benta Act by the Labour Department has kept the Auckland office exceedingly fiusy ever since the legislation was placed on the Statute Book last session. Thou* sands of poople have brought their troubles to the specially appototed offieers who make investigations in instances where incraased xent ia demanded or notice fftr possession served. Where necessary an appeal ii made to the Magistrates Oourt f or f inal decision and the whoto service, includ* ing Court proeeedings, is free to tenanti defending cases. ''Every day the position becomes more aeute," commented an offieial of the Labour Department to-day. "Peopln are at their wits end to know where to go when they are served with noticc that their houses have been sold and that the new owners intend to resido in the dwellings purefiased. In tfieso cases it is necessary for an owner to obtain through tfie Court an order for possession, and tfie Iengtfi of time given tfie tenant to get out depends upon tho magistrate's view of the degree of hardi ship that will be' caused. "The other days a man was given seven days' notice to vacate a dweiling after he had paid xent regularly for twelve years. There were, of course, special circumstances. The new owner had nowhere to live aud had a sick wife, He came from the country, and the magistrato took the view tfiat tfiere was Jess hardsfiip iu tfiis case for tho teuant to be dispossessed tfiau for the owuer to be kept without a roof over the head of "his sick wife. New Residento. "Iu most iustanees those appljing to» the Court for possession of houses they have puTchased are persous who havo not previously resided in Auckland- * The-Uifting of the- depression and the consequenf larger number of marriages are faetors that are contributing to the house shortage. While the slump wa# on many people shared houses. In some cases two and three families lived to* getfier. Now the breadwinners are again in work and uaturally eaeh family desires to have a house of its own, That is only natural, but the houses are not available---that is where the shoe> pinches. "I see no prospect of the position easing even with the completion of the houses now being erected by the Gov* erumeut," he continued. "People are forced to fiuy houses by putting down a small deposit. It is in a sense n premium to keep a roof over their heads. In many instances the purchasers will never own the houses, bui they have the satisf action of Lnowtogthat as long as tfie interest is paid, and perfiaps a small portion of tfie principal, tfiey cannot be ejected and in tfie cir--cumstances they are content. ' 'But witfi tfie purchase tfieir trouble# are only starting, for they have to go through endless troubles to get posses. sion. The person ejected then followe suit and in his turn luys a house, andso tfie situation continues. It is an endless chain of worry and upheaval. Bent Iucreases A land agent said this morning that. many people were under tho inipression that in no tostance could the rent of a dweiling be increased abovo the amount paid when the Fair Bents Act wai passed. That was not so. If an owner could prove that the basic rent was too low a magistrate had- the power to fit what he* deemed to be a fair rent. A forinula was laid down jn the Act for the guidance of the Court. In soma cases he had known of inereases being made, while in other cases the rent had been reduced. "There is a tendency on the part of some local bodies to add to the burden of the ratepayer," said a property owner. "If rates and charges are increased the landlord is unable to pasa on the extra cost to the tenant by way of an increase in rent. "The legislation is in favour of the tenant, and the landlord appears to be less worthy of consideratiou. While 1 feel sorry for many good tenants who are being ejected, I have sympathy for landlords who, after treating tenant# more than leniently throughout the -slump period are unable to raise rentg and thus partieipate in tfie general prosparity.' ' "No property owner will build house# for rent in f uture, " commented another owner of real estate in Auckland. "It there'fore becomes the duty of local bodies to do their part in the erection of houses to meet the urgent needs of th© community. They have ampl# legislative power, and should not allow the Government to shoulder the whol# burden."