Equal Rights For Landlord And Tenant

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 55, 29 November 1937, Page 12

Equal Rights For Landlord And Tenant

Sir, —What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. The latest tenancy legislation is all very well now that there is a severe house shortage, but what about when a slump is ou and the tenant is having his innings? At the beginning of the last slump I owned two houses (both mortgaged, unfortunately), one let at 27/6, the other at 32/6, and they were not gold mines at those rentals after paying interest, rates, insurance, repairs and painting, let alone allowing for depreciation.

During the slump when houses became more plentiful and rents lower, the 32/6 tenants found a cheaper house. My house was empty, with loss of rental, for three weeks, after which I let it again at 23/6; the other tenant asked for a reduction in view of cheaper houses available, and I finally kept him in at 20/6 per week. Now, sir. I would like to suggest to the Finance Minister through your columns that if rents are to be stabilised they should be stabilised both ways, i.c., that the legislation should include provisions protecting the owner in times of a superfluity of houses by making it obligatory on flic part of the tenant to find another satisfactory tenant for a house at the same rental before he is allowed to vacate. —I am, etc., GANDER. Palmerston North, November 26.