Evening Bulletin

Landlords To Unite Against Rent Dodgers

A movement has been started among the landlords and house agents of the city to unite against the elusive tenants who have been fleecing many of them out of rent for many years past. Informal meetings of several prominent house agents were held yesterday afternoon and today, and all those present were unanimous that by united action they would be able to get the rent-dodger at their mercy. Some time ago Trent & Co. called a meeting of the landlords and house agents for the purpose of organizing a full-fledged land exchange, but the plans were apparently too comprehensive, and nothing came of the matter. Now the plan is much more

LANDLORDS TO UNITE

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simple, and will probably be adopted. It is to have a book at some one of the big offices at which the names of bad tenants will be kept. All the house agents will have access to this book, and when some rent-dodger does up one of them on some deal his name will be entered on the book, together with a short statement of his particular line of rascality. The result will be that when the agents are approached by would-be tenants whom they consider of a doubtful character, they will simply go to the book, where they will find data on the question as to his honesty.

The way the noble fraternity of those who believe that it is cheaper to move than to pay rent has done us up and continues to do it is something fierce," said a prominent house agent this morning. "There are lots of people in Honolulu who regularly pay one month's rent and get three months' service. They comprise all nationalities and races, but most of them are white. Some of them are quite well up in the law, too, and, knowing how hard it is to get them out under the law they defy the landlord in safety.

"There are some fellows who have got the art of beating the landlord down pat. Take, for instance, the dodge of going to the agent and taking the key and then moving in without saying anything further. The agent asks this gentleman if he has taken the house and he says that it suits him perfectly, but never a cent does he pay, nor does he in any way do anything which will establish in law the relation between landlord and tenant. As a consequence the landlord cannot sue for rent, and his only remedy is to begin a suit in ejection. This takes a long time, and in the meantime the foxy gentleman stays in the house. A man who has nothing does not need to rent as things are at present, but if we get this plan of a record book through there are going to be hard times for the rent-dodgers."