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The action taken to remedy unfit houses is summarised in the table below:
(a) Clearance Areas represented to Council 1
(b) Dwellings included in (a) above 14
(c) Dwellings demolished after Clearance Orders made 34
(d) Dwellings represented for Demolition or Closing Orders 36
(e) Undertakings received to carry out repairs 1
(f) Closing Orders made in respect of —
(i) Whole of building 7
(ii) Part of building 13
(g) Demolition Orders made 16
(h) Closing Orders determined on a building being made fit 11
(i) Undertakings cancelled on a building being made fit
(j) Dwellings in which defects were remedied after service of formal notice 95
(k) Dwellings in which defects were remedied after informal action 254
(2) Houses in Multiple Occupation
The problem of houses in multiple occupation does not appear to have grown
significantly in the past year. Cases are referred to the health department by the
Housing Officer when applications for rehousing suggest that lettings are lacking the
essential amenities required by the Housing Act, 1961, namely, the lighting and ventilation
of habitable rooms, the provision of a water supply, personal washing facilities,
and cooking and food storage facilities.
In a case of extreme mismanagement, the Council will apply to the house a
Management Order and thereafter the owner faces the possibility of legal proceedings
whenever the Order is contravened. The Housing Act powers also enable the Council
to make a Direction which limits the number of people who can occupy each letting,
and to serve notice requiring additional amenities to be provided for the various lettings.
During the year formal action was taken as shown below:
(1) Number of Management Orders made Nil
(2) Number of Directions made 13
(3) Number of Notices served requiring additional amenities 6
Legal proceedings were taken in two cases; in one an owner was fined £45 plus
,£10 costs under the Management Regulations, and in the other, an owner was fined
£25 with £7 7s. Od. costs for contravening a Direction.
(3) Certificates of Disrepair
The Rent Act, 1957 contained two important provisions; it first released from rent
control those dwelling-houses which, in the London area, had in 1956 a rateable value
exceeding £40, and secondly, it entitled owners of rented dwellings below that limit to
a prescribed rent income. Where the owner assumed responsibility for all repairs
(except internal decorative repairs), and this applied generally in the Borough, the
rent limit was to be equal to twice the 1956 gross value of the dwelling provided it
was maintained in a reasonable state of repair having regard to its age, character and
locality.
The tenant's interest was protected to the extent that if the owner failed to carry
out necessary repairs, application could be made to the local authority for a certificate
of disrepair. This certificate had to be granted unless the owner gave a satisfactory
undertaking to put the house in a proper state of repair within six months, and once
granted the tenant could make an adjustment in the amount of rent he paid the owner
until such time as the local authority cancelled the certificate.
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