FAIR RENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 80, 5 April 1939, Page 12

FAIR RENTS.

ACT'S OPERATION.

CONFUSION ELIMINATED.

LANDLORDS AND TENANTS.

With the Fair Rents Act in operation for three years confusion on the part of landlord and tenant is not as great as when the statute first became operative, but the Labour Department in Auckland is still handling something like. 1(H) cases a week, and of these about twenty £<> before the Magistrate's Court for decision. The Act applice only to houses let at some time between November 27, I!)."*; , ), and .Time 11, l!)3(i. Any house or part of a house let after the latter date for the first time does not come under the provisions of the Act. If a dwelling built before the Act was passed was designed to contain more than two apartments it does not come under the Statute, but a dwelling designed originally as a sinjrle unit house, and which was afterwards converted Into flats or apartments, comes within the scope of the legislation. It is not generally known thnt the Act npplien to furnished houses as well as empty dwellings. In a magisterial ruling some time a<:o it was held, however, that a certain tenancy was not subject to the Act. although it had been let empty between the dates specified. In this case the furniture was substantial in value, its worth being between £300 end «400, the magistrate holding that in the special circumstance* the house in question wan outside the jurisdiction of the .Statute. In other caoce where a few eticke of furniture have been placed in a dwelling with a view to obtaining a much higher rent than would have been possible with an unfurnished house the decision* have been that the Fair Rents Act applies. Magistrates Decide. The cases that come before the Court* are mostly for possession of tenements although a number of dispute* in connoct.on with the amount of rent chnrged are also settled by magistrates. 1™ ™ ,r en ts offlcer " of the Labour Department are kept busy throughout he year ,„ settling rent disputes, and itJβ only when they and the owners a id tenants cannot come to term,, that Courts! ,603 are broUght bef . ore the tnn°nf a ? r0 ' ,mPnt ,)otwcon h *"°ni and tenant ,i, respect to a dwelling that"" without the sanction of the Labour Department, which administers the law Who,, the Aet first came into operation there was » tendency on the "part of landlords to nsk increased rentals when a house became vacant, l>tit gradually landlords have come to recognise the FJTSr , of / he Act> and th °y c «^»it the officers of the Labour Department nio ag, T." ,C,,tß , - OtWCCn the n» fti * B *™ mane, ihe evasions arc not nearly a* numerous « s when the A-t Was first i.ade operative. Magistrates have dealt with so many eases during the last three years that they have become expert n dealing with disputes and nave~.laid down a formula that has •'bviated regulations being framed bv the Government. House Shortage. Ti. spite of the thousands of houses tliat have been constructed by the State Housing Department during the time that the Fair Rents Aet has been in operation, there is still a great shortage of houses in Auckland city and suburbs, and even with the present rate of Cohatructlon it will be years before there are sufficient dwellings to meet the demands of the growing population. Those who have studied the position say that the present rate nf building is not even ■ keeping pace witu mari'lrtgcs winch have shown a tremendous Increase since the depression period ended. '