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In recent years there has been a considerable increase
in the number of persons who have bought fairly large houses,
a part of which they occupy with their families, letting
the remainder in one or two room units. This type of landlord
frequently has very little experience of property
maintenance and is concerned mainly in obtaining an adequate
income from the rents of the sub-lettings, particularly
where mortgage repayments have to be made. Inconsequence,
there is a tendency for these houses to become over-occupied,
if not overcrowded, with inadequate amenities for the number
of occupants.
It is hoped that the new powers will enable local
authorities to control this type of multiple-occupied
dwelling and bring about an improvement in the standards
of management and maintenance. This may well involve a
requirement to reduce the number of persons or families
in the premises and thus impose an additional burden on
the rehousing activities of the Council. Of course, many
of the families to be displaced will already be on the
Council's housing list, but it will be necessary to ensure
that the implementation of this part of the Act is linked
with the availability of housing accommodation.
Underground Room Regulations.
Following the Housing (Underground Rooms) Act, 1959,
the Minister of Housing and Local Government issued revised
model Underground Rooms Regulations and asked local
authorities to revise their existing regulations to bring
them into conformity with present day standards. It was
felt that in some respects, particularly in relation to
the ventilation and lighting of rooms not used as living
rooms, the revised model regulations fell far short of
the previous model upon which most metropolitan boroughs
(including Camberwell) had based their existing regulations.
The Metropolitan Eoroughs' Standing Joint Committee made
representations to the Minister suggesting certain amendments.
The Minister replied that the purpose of the revised
model was to enable underground rooms to be dealt with
more flexibly and that a return to the rigidly defined
standards of the past would frustrate this aim. He indicated,
however, that he was prepared to consent to certain amendments,
including that relating to the ventilation and
lighting of rooms not used as living rooms, and the Council
submitted revised regulations which were approved by the
Minister on the 28th .August, 1961.