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In 1957 the Council decided to demolish 4 houses in Whytecliffe
Road, Purley, which they owned, as being unfit for human
habitation and incapable of being rendered fit at reasonable
expense, and the Ministry agreed. In addition an undertaking
was accepted that one house at Netherne would no longer be used
for human occupation while the closure of a house in another part
of the District was agreed, and a further one has been demolished.
This clearance of unfit houses is, however, obviously a
relatively small problem locally, although nationally it is quite
the reverse.
What is very much more important is to ensure that the
older houses do not get into this bad state, and the Inspectors have
done what they could to encourage owners to take the necessary
steps to prevent this, but until 1957 the Rent Restriction Acts
have handicapped them.
The Chief Public Health Inspector now writes:-
"The Rent Act, 1957, which came into force on 6th July,
1957, can truly be acknowledged as one of the most important
and far-reaching events occurring in the sphere of housing
during the post-war years.
It had been apparent for some time that the rent provisions
of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954 did not go
far enough in providing an incentive to owners to increase
the rents of small cottage property and at the same time accept
the obligations of putting the houses in good repair.
The new provisions allow of increases in rent more in
line with present day values and costs and have as their main
objective the repair and proper maintenance of rented houses
and flats together with the increase and better use of such
accommodation.
The fairly substantial increases in rent allowed under the Act
are subject to the tenant's right to demand a standard of
repair commensurate with the age, character and locality of
the dwelling.
A criticism which might be levelled against these provisions
is that of the tedious and complicated machinery for
enforcing the obligations of landlord and tenant in the event
of failure to agree.
If. however, the number of Certificates of Disrepair
issued by a Local Authority can be accepted as the yardstick
by which the Act can be judged, then so far as this District is
concerned, it can be said to have been a success. Only six
Certificates had been issued at the end of the year, with one
refusal, and in thirteen further cases, undertakings were given
by landlords to carry out repairs within the prescribed period.
Very few complaints have come to the notice of the Department
and it is the impression that rent increases have been
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