Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 65.djvu/135

 65

STAT.]

101

PUBLIC LAW 63—JUNE 30, 1951

" (b) Any landlord may petition the Administrator to adjust the maximum-rent ceiling or minimum-service standard, or both, applicable to his housing accommodations to compensate for (1) a substantial rise in taxes or other maintenance or operating costs or expenses over those prior to January 1, 1951, or (2) a substantial capital improvement including furniture and furnishings or alteration made since January 1, 1951; whereupon the Administrator may by order adjust such maximum-rent ceiling or minimum-service standard in such manner or amount as he deems proper to compensate therefor, in whole or in part, if he finds such adjustment necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act: Provided, That no such adjusted maximum-rent ceiling or minimum-service standard shall permit the receipt of rent in excess of the rent generally prevailing for comparable housing accommodations as determined by the Administrator. "(c) Any tenant may petition the Administrator on the ground that the service supplied to him is less than the service established by the minimum-service standard for his housing accommodations; whereupon the Administrator may order that the service be maintained at such minimum-service standard, or that the maximum-rent ceiling be decreased to compensate for a reduction in service, as he deems necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act. " (d) Any landlord may petition the Administrator for permission to reduce the service supplied by him in connection with any housing accommodations; whereupon the Administrator, if he determines that the reduction of such service is to be made in good faith for valid business reasons and is not inconsistent with carrying out the purposes of this Act, may, by order, reduce the minimum-service standard applicable to such housing accommodations and adjust the maximumrent ceiling downward in such amount as he deems proper to compensate therefor. "(e) Any tenant may petition the Administrator to adjust the maximum-rent ceiling applicable to his housing accommodations on the ground that such maximum-rent ceiling permits the receipt of an unduly high rent; whereupon the Administrator may by order adjust such maximum-rent ceiling in such manner or amount as shall, in his judgment, effectuate the purposes of this Act and provide a fair and reasonable rent for such housing accommodations, but not less than the generally prevailing rate for comparable housing accommodations. " (f) A petition made pursuant to this section shall be subject to the provisions of sections 8 and 9 of this Act. Any adjusted maximum-rent ceiling or minimum-service standard ordered pursuant to this section shall be the maximum-rent ceiling or minimum-service standard for the housing accommodations subject thereto; except that, in the event that the adjustment order is stayed or set aside by the court in accordance with section 9 of this Act, the maximum-rent ceiling and minimum-service standard theretofore applicable to such housing accommodations under this Act remain in full force and effect. " (g) Upon the expiration of forty-five days after the date of the filing of any petition by any landlord for adjustment of the maximumrent ceiling under the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the maximum-rent ceiling for the housing accommodations covered by such petition automatically shall become the ceiling requested in such adjustment petition, unless and until such adjustment petition shall have been finally disposed of by the Administrator or his office, pursuant to the provisions of this section and the provisions of sections 8 and 9. Upon such final disposition, if the maximum-rent ceiling

Rise in taxes, etc.

Service to tenant.

Petition by landlord to reduce service.

Unduly high rent.

Post, p. 104.

Automatic ceiling after 45 days, etc.

Refund of excess payments.

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