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HOUSING.
Inspection under the Public Health Acts.
One of the chief duties of a sanitary inspector is the investigation of
complaints, including among these those relating to housing conditions.
Most of these refer to defects such as of roofs, gutters or windows, faults
affecting drainage whether defective sinks, water closets, drains or the
choking of drains, and defective yard paving. Most of the defective
conditions giving rise to complaints are remedied on drawing the attention
of the owners to the conditions ; in a few formal action under the Public
Health Acts is required. The remedy in such instances, if the nuisance
continues after the service of a statutory notice, is application to the
Court for an order that the work shall be done.
In ordinary circumstances then, when an inspector visits a house,
especially if it is because of some complaint, he has to consider whether
action should be taken under the relevant provisions of the Housing Act.
He therefore makes a thorough inspection of the house, determines what
work is required to put the house in a habitable condition, and if the
estimated cost is not out of all proportion to the value of the house, the
Committee's approval is sought to the serving of the necessary notice.
The advantage of proceeding by the provisions of the Housing Act is
that more can be called for than under the nuisance sections of the Public
Health Acts, while in default of the owner undertaking the repair the
authority can execute the work and recover from the owner.
During the war years, shortage of labour and material necessitated
action being limited to the more urgent works called for under the Public
Health Acts, but already the situation is easing and some houses are being
dealt with under the provisions of the Housing Acts.