London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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Interest Restrictions Acts. Under Part II of the Act, the Council
axe required to deal with any application from a tenant for a
certificate of disrepair where the landlord has claimed a repairs
increase in rent, and the tenant feels that the house is not in
sufficiently good condition to justify it. Further the new provisions
replace those (under the Rents Acts, 1920-39), relating to the 40 per
cent. increase of rent permitted under the Increase of Rent and Mortgage
Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1920. Thus in particular, if a tenant,
not subject to a repairs increase under the 1954 Act, applies to the
Council for a certificate of disrepair under the 1920 Act, they must
adopt the same criteria regarding the condition of the house as they
must under the 1954 Act.
A certificate of disrepair must be in the form prescribed
by the Minister of Housing and Local Government and must specify the
defects in respect of which it is issued. This is to make it easier
for the landlord to determine what work of repair must be carried out
to the house in order to secure the revocation of the certificate.
The Council have decided that each application for a
certificate, or for the revocation of a certificate, must be accompanied
by a fee of one shilling.
The following table gives a summary of the action taken under the 1954 Act during the year:-
| Category | Applications for certificates of disrepair | Applications for certificates to be revoked | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. granted | No. refused | No. granted | No. refused | |
| (a) Dwelling houses which have been the subject of a notice of repairs increase of rent tinder Part II of the 1954 Act | 20 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
| (b) Dwelling houses which have NOT been the subject of a notice of repairs increase of rent under the 1954 Act, but in respect of which permitted increases of rent are recoverable under Section 2 (l)(c) and (d) of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1920 | 4 | - | - | 2 |
Houses in Multiple Occupation, (including hostels)
The provisions of the Housing Act, 1936, (Sections 6-8) and
the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, (Section 155), enabling local
authorities in London to make and enforce byelaws relating to houses
let in lodgings and hostels respectively, were superseded by provisions
contained in Sections 11 and 12 of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act,
1954, which apply to any house or part of a house "which is let in
lodgings or occupied by members of more than one family." A general
power is given to the Council to require in houses, which are in multioccupation,
an adequate provision of the following services and amenities:-
Natural lighting;
Ventilation;
Water supply;
Drainage and sanitary conveniences