I refer to the letter ‘Pre-1995 property rent’ (March 14). The problem of rent and tenancy controls arose during World War II, more than 70 years ago.

Most countries were over it in about 20 years but we are still tinkering with the problem. Act XXXI of 1995, the Housing Laws Amendment Act, was supposed to be the final watershed but we are still faced with a sizeable problem.

The survey and opinion poll sponsored by The Sunday Times of Malta on June 22, 2003, carried out by Mario Vassallo, professor of sociology at the University, showed that, in many cases, the “protected tenants” were better off than the exploited owners and that the vast majority were in favour of having the rent reflect the current commercial value of the property.

On June 19, 2009, Act X came into force, both sides of the House assenting. It put a stop, under certain conditions, to the inheritance of leases that had been going on for 70 years. In the meantime, rents for dwelling houses were to be increased to €185 annually, one cap fits all - and equivalent to less than half the cost of the daily newspaper - reviewable every three years according to the index of inflation.

Rents for commercial properties were set to increase by 15 per cent every year over a period of 20 years.

Rents for clubs, social or political, were left in a sort of limbo and a scheme is still being worked out for their revision. As this affects the political parties directly it would be naive to expect anything much. As we would say at school when we studied Latin, it is a Cicero pro domo sua situation.

Outside these laws, rents for rural properties have also been stagnant for ages, at about €2.30 annually per tumulo, which was the going pre-war rent.

When, some time ago, the government gave out some rural properties on lease, it had them revalued to present day levels.