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HOUSING.
1,638 inspections were made in the course of
the year in connection with housing conditions in Friern
Barnet. The programme included the completion of a
survey, commenced last year, to establish the number of
dwellings Unfit for human habitation and liable to be
demolished. From the facts revealed by this survey it
was estimated that 76 houses, accommodating 90 families,
fell into this category, and the Council approved a programme
to secure the demolition of these properties during
the next five years. The initial steps have since been
taken to deal with the first group of ten houses.
Apart from this special survey the normal and
routine function of the Department to obtain the repair of
unfit houses continued. As a result of action taken,
both informal and formal, repairs of varying nature were
effected to 236 dwellings. In one instance the Council
considered making a Closing Order in respect of part of a
house which was unfit for habitation. The accommodation
was not occupied at the time and on the owner giving an
undertaking that it would not be let until it had been
made' fit no further action was taken. The accommodation
remains unoccupied.
There was some conjecture as to what additional
work might be entailed in dealing with applications for
certificates of disrepair under the Housing Repairs and
Rents Act 1954, which came into operation at the latter
part of last.year. This Act enables a landlord to increase
the rent of his property if he is able to shew that
he has spent certain moneys on its maintenance and it is
also in good repair'. Tenants who have had the rents of
their accommodation increased under the Act are entitled to
apply to the. Council for a certificate of disrepair if they
do not agree that the premises are in good repair.
Should a certificate be granted payment of the increase of
rent may-be withheld until the defects of repair specified
in the certificate have been remedied. In the event only
eleven applications for certificates were received and of
these eight were granted.
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