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Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7725, 19 February 1909, Page 1

Wellington has a somewhat notorious reputation for high rente, induced m the first instance by the excess of demand over supply. Now, however, a change is stated to be taking place. One land and liouso agent informed a Dominion representative last week that there were at present sixty houses to let m the Island Bay district, and he could not remember so many shops being empty m the city since ho had been m business. There was, too, plenty of vacant office accommodation. Another stated that never m his recollection had there been so little buying and selling m Wellington. He thought that it was inevitable that the high rents ruling must go clown this year if things did not change greatly. This agent referred to certain unscrupulous practices which were being adopted to keep up rents. One tenant m a block of houses had been given possession of a house at a certain rental on condition that he informed enquirers that he was paying, us per week more, and to ensure absolutely "that there rihould be no deception " he was given a receipt for the higher sum each week. The agent said he knew that the same practice had been resorted to m the ietting of office accommodation m the city. ,