View report page

Clauses 28 to 30 empower local authorities to improve a
property themselves and to recover the cost in cases where an
improvement notice or an undertaking is not complied with.
Clause authorises a lessor who incurs expenditure in
complying with an improvement notice to apply to the County Court
for an increase in the rent payable under the lease.
Clause 35 authorises the landlord to increase the rent
of a property improved under this Part of the Act similar to the
provisions in the Rent Act, 1957.
A local authority is required, if an application is made,
to grant a mortgage loan to cover expenses which will be incurred
in improving a property under the provisions of this part of the
Act, subject to it being satisfied that the applicant can reasonably
be expected to meet his obligations.
The person on whom an immediate improvement or final
improvement notice is served may, within six months from the date
upon which the notice becomes operative, require the local authority
to purchase his interest in the dwelling. The purchase price in
such cases will be fixed as though the dwelling had been compulsorily
acquired by the local authority.
This Part of the Act does not apply to a dwelling provided
after the end. of 1944 unless it was provided by the conversion,
before Jvd October, 1961, of a building erected before the end of
1944.
Part III - Assistance for Improvement of Dwellings
Clauses 45 to 49 make alterations to the existing scheme of
discretionary and standard improvement grants for private owners.
Local authorities are empowered to make standard grants towards the
cost of works to bring a house up to the reduced standard (provision
of a hot water supply to a sink, a water closet, and facilities for
storing food) in cases where it is not practicable to provide all
the standard amenities at reasonable expense. Where a grant is
made towards the provision of a fixed bath or a shower, it is no
longer essential for this to be in a bathroom or a bedroom, if this
is not reasonably practicable.
The present limit upon the amount of a standard grant is
half the total cost of carrying out the necessary work, with a
maximum of £155- If a bathroom is provided by a new building or
-44-