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Part II is primarily concerned with permitted rent increases in rentcontrolled
dwelling-houses.
The main work falling on the Department under this part is dealing
with applications from tenants for certificates of disrepair in cases where
the landlord has claimed a repairs increase and the tenant considers
that the premises are not in a sufficiently good condition to justify it.
When a certificate is granted and the defects listed in the certificate
have been carried out the owner may apply for revocation of the certificate
of disrepair and from the day of revocation the increased rent
permitted under the Act becomes payable. From 30th August until the
end of the year, 77 certificates of disrepair were granted and 24 applications
refused. Eight of the certificates were revoked and two applications
for revocation refused.
Cleansing of Soiled Articles
On 6th April this service came into operation and during the year
21 people received assistance, 8 of them still receiving the service at the
end of the year.
The articles cleansed are sheets and personal linen and occasionally,
blankets or pieces of blankets. Most of the persons using the service
are sick and incontinent old people who are unable to arrange for the
articles to be washed. Only those cases which can be certified by the
sanitary inspector as coming within the terms of Section 84 of the Public
Health Act, 1936 are dealt with under the scheme. New cases are referred
to the Department usually by the home nurses or the home help organiser
and occasionally by the Old People's Welfare Committee. Collection
and delivery of the articles is undertaken twice per week.
The number of cases assisted at any one time has never been more
than 10 and the service undoubtedly fills a very great need and is much
appreciated by the persons concerned. There is no evidence of abuse
of the service.
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