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people seems possible, apart from the granting of compulsory powers
for their removal to a suitable institution.
While in the majority of cases the defects found to exist in unfit
houses are due to the lack of proper management and supervision by
owners, from time to time complaints are made by owners regarding the
difficulties they experience in keeping their property in a reasonable
state of repair because of the dirty and destructive habits of a number
of their tenants. It is alleged that, through carelessness or wilful damage
by tenants, repairs and cleansing have to be carried out with unreasonable
frequency and that, as a consequence, it is impossible to maintain even
the minimum requirements of the Local Authority without incurring
financial loss.
Investigation has shown that these statements are often well-founded,
especially in the poorer class tenement lodging houses where no responsible
caretaker or landlord is resident. To lighten the difficulties of the owner in
these cases, effort is made, as far as possible, to keep in view such powers
as a Local Authority has of holding the tenant responsible for defects
resulting from his neglect or default.
Action was taken during the year in respect of three dwelling houses
found to be in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit
for human habitation. Closing Orders were made in each of these cases
and the houses have since been demolished by the owner. The total
number of dwelling houses inspected for housing defects during the
year was 1,332, the number found not to be in all respects reasonably
fit for human habitation being 799. The number rendered fit in consequence
of informal action by the Sanitary Inspectors was 34 and the
number in respect of which notices were served requiring defects to be
remedied was 765. It came to the knowledge of the Department in the
course of the year that seven underground rooms were being illegally
used for sleeping purposes. Appropriate action was taken and the rooms
were vacated in all cases.
There were three applications under the Increase of Rent and Mortgage
Interest (Restriction) Acts made by the occupiers of three dwelling houses
that the houses occupied by them were not in a reasonable state of repair.
In all cases the applications were withdrawn before they were considered
by the Council as all the work necessary to put the houses in a reasonable
state of repair had been carried out expeditiously. It is the usual practice
when such an application is received to inspect the house and serve
notices for the defects which exist. If these are amended promptly it
is found unnecessary to take further action.
Unhealthy Areas. No representations have been made under the
Housing Acts during the year and no complaints that areas were unhealthy
have been received.
Byelaws relating to Houses and Houses Let in Lodgings. Existing
byelaws relating to houses are, on the whole, found to be fairly satisfactory
in their working, but there is undoubted need for new byelaws in
respect of houses let in lodgings in order to deal adequately with present-