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SECTION 4
HOUSING
INSPECTION OF HOUSES
The inspection of dwelling-houses continues to take up the major part
of the sanitary inspectors' time. As will be seen from the summary on
page 49, 13,353 houses were inspected during the year, mainly as the
result of complaints received from the occupiers.
Due to lack of maintenance during the war and subsequent years, it is
often found on inspection that the repairs required are extensive, involving
in some cases work of a structural character. Many of the houses in the
Borough are aged leasehold properties with only a short period unexpired
and the high cost of building repairs in relation to controlled rents often
creates financial difficulties for owners in complying with Notices.
Briefly the powers of local authorities to deal with insanitary houses
are as follows:—
Under the Public Health Act 1936, it is the duty of the local authority
to deal with Statutory Nuisances as defined in Section 92. Where such
nuisances are found to exist the local authority serves a notice requiring
the abatement of the nuisances. If the Notice is not complied with the
owner is summoned before a Court of Summary Jurisdiction and an
Order obtained. The Order gives a specified period in which to carry out
the work. If the Order is not complied with the local authority may do
the work and recover the expense.
Under the Housing Act, 1936, where a local Authority consider that a
house is in any respect unfit for human habitation; they shall, unless they
are satisfied that it is not capable at a reasonable expense of being rendered
fit, serve a Notice upon the owner requiring him, within a reasonable
time, to carry out the work specified in the Notice. The owner can appeal
to the County Court against the Notice, but subject to the right of appeal,
the local authority may carry out the work if the owner fails to do so and
recover the cost, with interest, if necessary by deducting the instalment
of the cost from the rent.
In determining whether a house can be rendered fit for human habitation
at a reasonable expense, regard shall be had to the estimated cost of
the necessary works and the value which it is estimated the house will
have when works are completed.
It will be seen, therefore, that "reasonable expense" is the prime factor
to be considered under the repairs sections of the Housing Act. With the
present high cost of building repairs it becomes increasingly difficult to
determine what is reasonable expense. The market values of house
property at the present time often bear little relation to investment values
owing to the increased cost of building labour and materials as compared
with the absence of any increase in rent. Also, it must be rememberd that,
under the Housing Act, if a local authority considers that a house is unfit
and is not capable, at a reasonable expense, of being made fit, they must
consider the question of demolition.
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