Chapter IV: Payment

Estate Agents are usually paid on Commission, but Housing Managers, Superintendents, etc., under big Corporations are paid salaries.

The Sub-Committee do not consider the percentage system a good one, especially for lower grade property, which needs the more time and skill. Also, where rent varies with the rates, as it does on nearly all the properties managed by women, the basis of variation is undesirable for such payment.

Women Managers (mostly paid on percentage) have hitherto undertaken the work at a sacrifice. Introducing as they did a new system of management, their work was intensified, but their percentage remained the same as that of the former agents.

The Sub-Committee believe that better pay might be secured by the following methods:

(1) By a wider and more general attempt at organization. One Manager,
responsible for the general principle of the Management, could control
a large property or groups of properties, with specially appointed
superintendents and staff who have been made to understand the spirit
and aims of the work.

(2) By a careful combination of higher grade quarterly tenancies with
the lower grade weekly, possibly aided by the promotion of some
regular weekly tenancies to monthly payments.

There is very little doubt that management of lower grade properties has been made to pay by undesirable means. Key money, percentage fees on builders’ bills and other “payments” have crept in—in some cases are openly acknowledged and expected. Management should be placed beyond the reach of such practices.

Inefficient management is very largely responsible for the slums of to-day and has led to the need for slum clearances and the consequent enormous expense to the Community. The necessary effort to redeem slum areas now can only be successful by management on modern lines—a strong, efficient business equipment, based on definite ideals with definite social aims. Work on such a foundation cannot fail to bring results, but it should be adequately paid. The attempt to overcome the evils of our heritage of bad management by the introduction of efficient management in bad areas may seem, at first, comparatively costly. It will never be quite so costly in the end as inefficient management.

GENERAL REMARKS.

A consideration of the whole situation has led the Sub-Committee to the following conclusions:

(1) While not advocating that all properties should be handed over to
women to manage, they are convinced that there are special
requirements on certain properties which, at the moment, urgently call
for women’s special experience.

(2) It would be advisable for all Local Authorities to appoint women
in their Housing Departments. Birmingham City Council has taken the
first step by appointing a “Woman Rent Collector and Supervisor of
Houses.”

(3) That every effort should be made to draw the attention of the
Local Authorities to the importance of the need for an improved
standard of management.

_Members of Sub-Committee._