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22
Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954
Certificates of Disrepair
Under this Act, landlords may increase the rent when the house is in "good repair". On the application
of a tenant a Sanitary Inspector inspects the house, and if it is not in good repair, the Council must
issue a certificate. Until the defects are remedied, the landlord cannot claim an increase in rent.
During the year there were 117 applications for certificates of disrepair and 110 were granted;
100 were revoked after repairs were carried out. A much larger number of applications was expected because
of the number of' houses in disrepair, but many landlords have not claimed an increase in rent because they
were afraid that the tenants' application for a certificate of disrepair might result in a notice from the
Council to carry out extensive works to put the house in good repair. Consequently, houses which are much
below the "good repair" standard have not been appreciably affected by this part of the 1954 Act.
In Willesden the extensive use of' the Housing Act, 1936, and the Public Health Act, 1936, has
been much more effective in securing improvement to properties in a bad state of repair.
Certificates of Disrepair under Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954
Applications received from tenants 123
Withdrawn by tenants 6
Number investigated 117
Granted 110
Refused 7
Applications for revocation certificates received from owners 106
Granted 100
Refused 6
Certificates of Disrepair under Rent and Mortgage Interest Restrictions Acts
Applications received from tenants 4
Withdrawn
Granted 4
Refused
Applications for revocation certificates received from owner 2
Granted 2