Some interesting descriptions of some of these “middlemen” were given.
One of the largest in Clerkenwell was a Mr. Decimus Ball, and there was also a Mr. Ross—both of whom were on the Vestry.
The witness stated that these men had neglected the houses, and in many cases were very extortionate in their demands against the occupants.
Mr. Ball had many houses which were inhabited by families in single rooms, but which up to a short time previously were inhabited by whole families to a house.
Mr. Ball’s profit is “perfectly enormous if he does not do any repairs.” And he made very few; and if the rent were not paid on the Monday morning, he threatened to raise it.
Probably the most notorious “middleman” was a certain Mr. Flight.
“He must have been the owner of thousands and thousands of houses in the metropolis.” (18,000, it was said.)
“He owned property in every part of London, and the squalid nature of that property, the wretched condition in which it has been kept, the avoidance of all decent rules by which habitations are governed, was something very fearful.”
“Middlemen,” it was stated, sometimes appeared to be making 150 per cent. per annum, but they assert that repairs have to come out of that. Repairs, however, were only executed once in three or four years, and in the others they get their 150 per cent.
“If the house-farmers do no repairs for years the profits are large…. They collect their rents very sharply.