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notice has been served under Section 9 requiring a house to be rendered
lit for human habitation, and the landlord has defaulted); or (c) a previous
undertaking in respect of any dwelling in the Borough has not been
carried out; or (d) there is a previous conviction of the landlord under
Section 95 of the Public Health Act 1936 in respect of any dwelling.
(A conviction can result from a failure to carry out the works required
by a notice served under the Public Health Act). No undertakings were
refused on these grounds.
The procedure for cancellation of certificates has also been changed.
Formerly all applications for cancellation required an inspection of the
premises. Now the tenant is given notice that the certificate will be cancelled
if no objection is received from him within three weeks. It is
necessary to inspect the premises only if an objection is received. This
change is an improvement, since it considerably reduces the number
of inspections required.
In order to provide landlords with documentary evidence as to the
satisfactory completion of work which they have undertaken to carry
out, the Act provides for the issue by the Council of a "certificate as to
the remedying of defects specified in a landlord's undertaking to remedy
defects." This certificate is also available to a tenant when he wishes to
have proof that defects have not been remedied. Three certificates were
applied for by landlords, and two certificates were issued to the effect
that all defects were remedied. In the third case all the defects had not
been remedied, and a certificate was issued accordingly.
The following figures relate to action under the new Act, during the
period 6th July to 31st December 1957:—
Applications for certificates of disrepair 120
Decisions not to issue certificates 1
Decisions to issue certificates (a) in respect of some defects 91
(b) in respect of all defects 19
Undertakings given by landlords 47
Undertakings refused —
Certificates of disrepair issued 49
Applications for cancellation of certificates 13
Objections by tenants to cancellation of certificates 7
Decision by Council to cancel in spite of tenant's objection 1
Certificates cancelled 5
During the period from 1st January to 5th July 1957, when the issue
of certificates was still governed by the Housing Repairs and Rent Act
1954, one application for a certificate of disrepair was refused and five
certificates were revoked.
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