RENTS IN NAPIER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17441, 13 April 1931, Page 10

RENTS IN NAPIER

INCREASE SINCE DISASTER HABITAELE HOUSES SCARCE Habitable houses still continue to be scarce m Napier and although a considerable number have been i©paired the demand is still greater than tiie supplyami rents continue to be correspondingly ■iigli. A probaole reason lor this, a Napier land agent stated, was that with the return of so many former residents to the town many were unable to occupy their houses until they had been repaired and therefore were seeking new dwellings. With the demand for houses rents bad risen in proportion, but it could not he said that landlords had taken advantage of the scarcity of houses to raise rents.

There had been cases where people in search of houses had advertised in the .ocat newspaper and had not been successful in leeching a single reply. Prior ,o the earthquake there were many owners eager to let houses at standard rents. Indeed, they would have been glad to accept lower rents from approved tenants.

“Whether the rise in house rents is a temporary one or is permanent is a mutter of opinion,” said the land agent. “It seems quite likely it will he merely of a temporary nature and that as fsapier houses are chimneys re-erected, and the places made generally habitable, there will not bn such a scarcity and rents therefore will fall. Those occupiers who consider landlords are taking advantage of the scarcity of houses to increase rentals would do well to consider that in practically every instance it is Hie property owner rather than the tenant who lias lost most heavily as a result of the earthquake. In the case of shops the tenant lias often been unfortunate in losing stock valued at a considerable cum, hut it cannot he said that the house tenant has lost very heavily. On the other hand, it is incumbent upon the owner to restore damaged chimneys and to otherwise make his house fit for habitation.” GmitimiiiMJ. Hit* agent said houses on the hills appeared lo be. scarcer than lhose on the lint and cases were known where residents were prepared to pav increased rents for houses ill central msitions on (lie hills.