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HOUSING REPAIRS AND RENTS ACTS, 1954.
This Act has been in operation during the last four months of the
year under report and has brought additional responsibilities to the
Public Health Committee mainly in connection with the following:—
Unfit Houses: Proposals for dealing with unfit houses must be
submitted to the Minister by the 30th August, 1955. The information
to be supplied is under three headings:—
1. Estimated number of houses unfit for human habitation and
suitable only for clearance and individual demolition and the
estimated period in years considered necessary for dealing
with these houses.
2. Number of houses in clearance areas already covered by
operative clearance or compulsory orders or owned by the
Council and the number included in clearance areas and for
clearance or compulsory purchase orders which have been
submitted to the Minister but not yet confirmed.
3. Details of proposed action for the first five years.
To obtain the required information it has been necessary to carry
out a certain amount of survey work to augment the general knowledge
of the conditions in the Borough. The proposals to be submitted to
the Minister are required to be submitted jointly with the London
County Council.
Repairs Increases: The Act permits an increase in the rents of
houses let under a controlled tenancy or occupied by a statutory tenant.
This increase is subject to the following conditions —that the house is
in good repair and reasonably suitable for occupation having regard to
the standard of fitness laid down in the Act and that the landlord has
produced satisfactory evidence that work of repair to the value specified
in the Act has been carried out during the requisite period. The
standard of fitness requires that regard shall be had to the condition
of the house in respect of the following matters: —(a) repair; (b)
stability; (c) freedom from damp; (d) natural lighting; (e) ventilation;
(f) water supply; (g) drainage and sanitary conveniences and (h)
facilities for storage, preparation and cooking of food and for the
disposal of waste water.
The amount of the rent increase is related to the gross value of the
house and where the landlord has elected not to be responsible for
internal decoration the permitted rent increase is reduced by one-third.
No increase is recoverable unless the landlord has served on the tenant
the prescribed form of notice.
Certificates of Disrepair: A tenant served with a notice of increase
may apply to the local authority for a certificate that the conditions
justifying an increase are not fulfilled. The local authority if satisfied