Standard Level User Charges Assessed to DOD by GSA

To determine if the objectives of Public Law 92-313 are being met and complied with and whether the Department of Defense (DOD) is receiving equal treatment with respect to standard level user charges assessed to it by the General Services Administration (GSA), GAO reviewed the computation and reasonableness of annual rental charges assessed DOD. The law authorizes and directs GSA to charge agencies for the space they occupy and services rendered. It states that the rental payments shall approximate commercial charges for comparable space and services, but does not contain criteria or guidance for computing comparable commercial rates. The rental rates for the 57 office-type buildings occupied by DOD in the National Capital area are computed for fiscal years 1979, 1980, and 1981 by reappraising one-third of the buildings each year and establishing a new rental rate for the next 3 years based on the reappraisals.