CORONATION RENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11872, 25 January 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

CORONATION RENTS.

PRICES ALONG THE ROUTE OF PRO- /'■ CESSION.' The Parliamentary season- commences in January, and from then to the end of the coronation festivities, which will be prolonged until the middle of July, one of the greatest difficulties visitors from the colonies and the United States will have to overcome will be the obtaining of suitable accommodation. This applies especially tooths fashionable hotels in the West End and to the house property, in Belgravia and Mayfair. " Up to the present,"however," said a wellknown house and estate agent in St. James'street. " the demand has not actually created a market. . *

" Applications from America reached 'tis' two months ago for houses in the West feu for the season, but Americans ,do not offer too much. In Belgravia and Mayfair many of the residents, who in ordinary seasons let their houses, have decided to retain them." Houses in neighbourhoods beyond the fashionable districts and within easy access of the West Epd will let at large premiums. ' A town residence in Portland Place for the month of June cannot be rented for less than IOOOgs. In "Westboume Grove, Bayswater Road, and across the park towards Kensington and Chelsea, the rents of residential fiats and houses have gone up enormously.

In Westminster small furnished houses of nine and ten rooms are letting at anything from £10 to £20 a week, according to position.

The Government have experienced some difficulty in acquiring suitable houses for the accommodation of the Indian rajahs and their suites invited over for the festivities, and as much as £10,000 has been offered for the year's tenancy of a house in Park Lane. Fortunately there has been none of thatreckless speculation in house property and sites which marked the Diamond Jubilee.

The timidity on the part of syndicates and speculators is accounted fox' by the fact that the official programme of the lino of procession has not yet been published. One enterprising house agent has, however, bought options of windows to relet for the coronation ; procession along the fine of both routes— Oxford-street and Ilolborn entrance to the city, and also the Fleet-street approach. In more than one case ho has let a single sitting-room window for £500.

Roof seats are being bought by speculators, the very cheapest of which will be relet in single seats at £2 2s each.