London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Richmond upon Thames 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond]
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38
TABLE 25. RENT ACT, 1957.
The Rent Act, 1957, came into operation on the 6th July, 1957,
and repealed the Housing Repairs and Rent Act, 1954.
The 1957 Act permits the rents of controlled houses to be in
creased within specified limits, and lays down a procedure to enable
the tenant and landlord to reach agreement on works of repair which
should be carried out to the property.
Should agreement not be possible, the tenant may apply to the
local authority for a Certificate of Disrepair which, if granted, stops
the rent increase. The landlord has the opportunity, however, of
giving an undertaking to carry out the repairs within 6 months, and
if such an undertaking is accepted by the local authority, the rent
increase continues to be payable.
The following tables show the action taken since the Act came into force:—
PART 1. — Applications for Certificates of Disrepair.
| 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of applications | 37 | 15 | 8 | Nil |
| Number of decisions not to issue certificates | 4 | 1 | Nil | Nil |
| Number of decisions to issue certificates:— | ||||
| (a) in respect of some but not all defects | 29 | 7 | 7 | Nil |
| (b) in respect of all defects | 6 | 7 | 1 | Nil |
| Number of undertakings given by landlords | 24 | 9 | 2 | Nil |
| Number of undertakings refused by Local Authority | 1 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Number of certificates issued | 12 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
PART 2. — Applications for Cancellation of Certificates.
| 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications by landlords to local Authority for cancellation of certificates | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Objections by tenants to cancellation of certificates | 2 | 1 | Nil | 1 |
| Decisions by Local Authority to cancel in spite of tenants' objection | 1 | 1 | Nil | Nil |
| Certificates cancelled by Local Authority | 7 | 3 | 2 | Nil |