Rent Board disallows increases for tenants at city flat

The Rhodesia Herald,

February 6, 1971

RENT increases for 17 tenants of “50”, a block of flats in Montagu Avenue, were cut yesterday by the Mashonaland Rent Board and in six cases, the board fixed lower rents than had previously been paid.

The board’s decision fixes the rents for three years with effect from February 1.

The Board chairman, Mr MVJ Koch, said the rent orders had been made to allow the lessor a reasonable return on his investment while at the same time to fix a fair charge to the lessee.

The Board made an order for each of the 17 flats in the application, which was heard by the board last Friday.

In four cases the rents were ordered to remain the same as previously paid. Six rents were reduced and seven were increased, but by less than the amount asked for by the owner of the flats.

The rent changes are not large, they range from $1 to $4 a month. The biggest variation was in the case of a tenant who had been paying $63 a month and who was asked to pay $74 on a year’s lease or $78 on a monthly tenancy. The rent was fixed at $365.

In another case where an increase of $12 a month was asked for, or $6 on a year’s lease, the board ordered the rent to remain the same.

The application by the 17 tenants was opposed by Mr George Beale, a director of the company which owns the flats and also of the managing agents, Fraser Partners.

Mr Koch said the orders had been made after considering evidence of rents of similar flats in the locality, and of the condition of the flats.

The next hearing of the Board will be held next Friday when two applications will be heard.

Our Bulawayo correspondent reports that two more applications to raise rents on flats in Bulawayo will come before the Matabeleland Rent Board this month.

Tenants from blocks involved, the two Winston Buildings and Kathleen Flats, will fight the increases.

The landlords are seeking a rise of $11 a month at Winston Buildings (current rent is $34 a month) and, $15 a month at Kathleen Flats ($35). A tenant at Kathleen Flats said: “I will fight it all the way.”

A tenant who has lived for 24 years in Winston Buildings said that three lawyers would represent the tenants at the Rent Board hearing.

She said: “We agree that the landlord is entitled to an increase because of higher rates and taxes, but he is certainly not entitled to an extra $11 a month.”

An estate agency spokesman, said in Bulawayo that not all applications for increased rents came before a Rent Board.

“Our agency recently increased rents on four blocks of flats through negotiation. Rents today are a question of supply and demand, and the demand is pretty strong at the moment,” the spokesman said.

Another estate agent said that he expected additional rent increases when contracts, held by tenants, ran out.

He said: “There are still a number of flats with very low rentals. These probably have tenants under contract and rent cannot be changed while the contract exists.”

LESSONS FOR TODAY

◆ The Rent Board was created in terms of the Housing and Buildings Act (22:7), which authorises the minister responsible for its administration to constitute it.

◆ The Rent Board is responsible for adjudicating on disputes between a landlord and tenant in a simple manner and give directive. In terms of the Rent Regulations, 2007 (SI 32/2007) the following are the recognised grounds to evict a lessee:

◆ (i) Failure to pay rentals; and,

◆ (ii) The lessee is or has materially

damaged property in the flat.

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