FIXING RENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 135, 9 June 1936, Page 8

FIXING RENTS.

BILL NOW PASSED.

J UPPER HOUSE' AMENDMENT! AGREEMENTS BEjifWEEir PARTIES^?' (By Telegraph.—rarliaujeritary Reporter) WELLINGTON, this day.' A provision enabling landlords and tenants' to agree,-with-the approval of Hie inspector of factories, as to a fa" rent for any dwelling housp was contained in a Government amendment to the Fair Rents B.i]], introduced into the Legislative Council to-day.- , ? i The agreement will; so far! as it fi XM a fair rent, have the same.operation as an order made by a magistrate. Such an agreement will not deprive the tenant of any of the other benefits conferred by the Act, such as those dealing with limiting the grounds for recovery o f possession or restrictions on the ri«ht of the landlord to distrain. e Another amendment excludes from the operation of the Act dwelling liouges disposed: of under an approved housing i-cheme which provides for the letting of houses on leases containing a compulsory or optional purchasing clause. The amendment is to meet the ease of build, ing societies which acquire, blocks of hind, erect buildings and dispose of them to selected tenants on lease, on the expiration of which the lessee is entitled to become a purchaser on a .system of time payment by which part of his payments are credited to him as purchase money. ,« Another amendment enables a land[lord, subject to certain restrictive proI visions in the clause limiting the grounds for recovery of possession, to obtain possession through th.fe Court of a dwelling house on the ground that he requires it for the use ; of- & person in his regular employment , . ''•'{ By a further amendment a'magistrate is empowered to give a landlord leave to distrain for rent without/the necessity of giving notice to ; a. tenant. An amendment made on the motion of the Hon. W. Perry restricts the operation of the legislation to dwelling houses where the annual rent is not more than £IiJO. In movim/'the amendment, Mr. Perry said that' if the exemption were granted in cases where tenants were paying £4 a week he did not think that such an exemption would be in accordance with the spirit of the legislation. Ho would suggest.;* that the exemption should not apply. ? where the rent was more than £3 a week.

The Leader of the Council, the Hon. Mark Pagan, said that the amendment was consistent with the; provisions of the bill. It was a temporary measure designed to assist people in dire need. A man who could afford to-, pay £4 a week rental did not need -protection. Mr. Fagan said that he would accept the amendment. ~4 All tbe amendments were agreed, to and the bill was passed. , The Distress and Replevin Amendment Bill was also passed.