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28
The problem of dealing with property, as I said before, is extremely
difficult, the Rents Restrictions Act allowing only a 40 per
cent, increase in the rent to cover the cost of repairs, which is in
many cases totally inadequate. As things are now, many houseare
being crowded with two, three or more families. Sometimes
these houses have been of the better class more commodious houses,
and in the ordinary way the 40 per cent, would have been comparatively
just. Where these are sub-let, often at an exorbitant profit
to more families, the wear and tear on the landlord's property is
not in arithmetical progression, and he is in no way recompensed
by the limited increase in the rent which he is allowed to charge.
His tenant profiteers unblushingly, and the landlord has to bear
the burden, and has no remedy whatever unless legal overcrowding
occurs. In nearly every case there is no legal overcrowding, but
as pointed out previously, considerable moral overcrowding. At
the same time there are landlords who are hard put to it, and the
tenants have a great difficulty in getting anything done. It is
very difficult at times to hold the scales justly between the tenant
who has certain rights, and a harassed landlord who is in certain
cases deprived of his rights by statute.
There is another class of property which is giving considerable
difficulty, where the Landlord has don.e practically nothing for
many years, particularly since the outbreak of war, and has sucked
the property dry without doing anything to adequately maintain
it, with the result that difficulty is experienced in getting repairs
done owing to the amount that is necessary.
Another class of property giving great difficulty is that in
which there has been a life interest only and the property has come
to the next-of-kin, where again the property has been sucked dry,
and the unfortunate next-of-kin is faced with extensive repairs
when the house has been inspected.