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of the time specified in the notice, themselves do the work required and
recover the expenses so incurred from the landlord.
The local authority may, if they think fit, allow the expenses incurred to
be repaid by annual instalments, paid within five years with interest not
exceeding £5 per cent. per annum.
The landlord is given the right of appeal within twenty-one days to the
Local Government Board against any notice served under this Section,
and pending appeal, no proceedings are to be taken in respect of such notice.
It is pointed out in the Local Government Board's memorandum on the
new Act, that in the case of houses within the rental limit of £40 per annum
requiring repair, local authorities should avail themselves of section 15 referred
to in the foregoing, in preference to taking proceedings under sections 17 and
18, relating to closing and demolition of houses that are unfit for human
habitation as closing of houses involves removal of the tenants, as the
natural sequence is demolition, resulting in a decreased amount of accommodation
being available in the district.
I may add that, in taking proceedings under section 15 (3), the local
authority have only to be satisfied that the premises in question are not
"reasonably fit for human habitation," whereas in considering the advisability
of taking action under section 17 (2) they can only do so if they consider
that the house is "in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit
for human habitation."
It is obvious that many cases can be dealt with under section 15 to which
it would be difficult to apply section 17 (2).
Section 16 of the new Act empowers local authorities to extend bye-laws
made with respect to houses let in lodgings or occupied by members of more
than one family, made under section 94 of the Public Health (London) Act
1891, in the case of houses occupied by members of the working classes, to
imposing any duty, which may be imposed by the bye-laws, and which
involves the execution of work, upon the owner within the meaning of the
Act of 1891, so as to make it the duty of the owner to do such work in
addition to, or in substitution for, any other person, having an interest in the
premises.
Section 35 of the new Act provides for the exemption of houses occupied
for the sole purpose of letting lodgings to persons of the working classes, at a
charge not exceeding sixpence a night for each person, from payment of
Inhabited House Duty upon the production of a certificate of the Medical
Officer of Health that the house is solely constructed and used to afford
suitable accommodation for the lodgers, and that due provision is made
for their sanitary requirements.