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17
had been rehoused by the Council, was reconditioned and resold at
a high figure. This illustrates that the key to the problem of housing
repairs and reconditioning lies in the obtaining of vacant possession
by the owner.
It is still too early to attempt to assess the success or otherwise
of the Government's rent reform policy, so far as it is intended to
secure the better repair of rented property. A few of the houses
marked down for closing or, demolition have been given a new lease
of life by the carrying out of extensive repairs. The task of dealing
with those remaining on the list was held up by rehousing difficulties.
Although schemes to meet this need were finally approved by the
Council, the Governments economic policy resulted in a curtailment,
and slowing down, of clearance action. The suspension of Improvement
Grants and loans for purchase did not help matters but it must
be admitted that the Improvement Grants Scheme has never had any
success in this area as far as rented property is concerned.
A noticeable feature of complaints in recent years has been an
increase in complaints of dampness due to excessive condensation.
This may be due to the fact that many older properties are reaching
an age and condition where internal plaster and wall surfaces have
lost much of their absorptive properties. Another reason is the use of
impervious and hard surfaced plastic materials for both surface lining
and decoration and in the manufacture of household furnishings and
equipment. An abundance of this type of covering material, coupled
with solid floors, lino or plastic tiling and lack of ventilation, due to
draught proofing devices, all lead to excessive condensation. The
remedies are many and varied and involve considerations of temperature,
humidity and the absorptive properties of both the atmosphere
and furnishings in a home.
Whether the dampness of condensation is any better or worse
than dampness in the structure is a matter for conjecture and perhaps
further research. When it was confined to the kitchen and bathroom
it was tolerable and usually manageable, but the living rooms and
bedrooms appear to be increasingly affected in both modern as well
as old homes.
Excessive condensation clearly has an adverse effect on the comfort
and convenience of householders, if not on their health, and it
would be beneficial if the causes and effects of condensation were
more widely understood by the general public.
The service of Notices of Increase in Rent following on the
passing of the Rent Act, 1957, inevitably led to a substantial number
of applications for Certificates of Disrepair.
The slow and laborious procedure which must be followed to
secure an abatement of rent, on account of disrepair, has caused much
irritation and criticism from both tenants and landlords. The necessity