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under which the patient is living. On the other hand, it is a
pleasure to record that many coloured and white families are
known to be living in the same houses in the Borough quite
harmoniously. Even among British-born families, however,
applications for re-housing on medical grounds are often based
on lack of harmony between occupants of shared accommodation
—not infrequently between married couples and their parentsin-law.
In some cases, severe nervous disability is reported.
During the year 40 applicants were provided with alternative
accommodation following recommendations for priority on
medical grounds; 8 of these were rehoused within 3 months of
the recommendation, 8 within six months, 9 within nine months
and 15 within one year.
Certificates of Disrepair
The Bent Act, 1957 which came into operation on the
6th july, 1957, replaced many of the provisions of the Housing
Repairs and Bents Act, 1954 and made provision, inter alia, for
further increases in rents. The Public Health Department,
however, was more directly concerned with those sections of
the Act which amended the procedure for the issue of Certificates
of Disrepair; this is now rather lengthy and complex and
provides in the first place, for the service of a notice on the
landlord by the tenant drawing attention to the defects of
repair. In the event of the landlord's failure to remedy these
defects or to give an Undertaking to do so within a prescribed
period, the tenant may then apply to the local authority for a
Certificate of Disrepair. The Council must first, however, serve
a Notice of Intention to issue a Certificate of Disrepair on the
landlord who is then allowed three weeks in which to carry out
the repairs or give an Undertaking to do so ; if he fails to do
either, the Council may then issue a Certificate of Disrepair and
the tenant may withold the increase in the rent whilst such
Certificate is in force.
When the works have been carried out the landlord may
apply to the Council for the cancellation of the Certificate, but
the tenant must then be given a Notice of Intention to cancel
the Certificate and allowed three weeks in which to object to its
cancellation stating the grounds for such objection (if any).
If an objection is raised the Council must consider whether it is
justified and cancel or refuse to cancel the Certificate as the
case may be. Either party may also apply to the Council for
a Certificate as to the Remedying of Defects which formed the
subject of an Undertaking given by the landlord.