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(i) Undertakings cancelled on a building being made fit 3
(j) Dwellings in which defects were remedied after service of formal notice 96
(k) Dwellings in which defects were remedied after informal action 218
(2) Houses in Multiple Occupation
Good progress has been maintained in implementing the Council's Standard in
such houses in several cases without taking legal action.
The Housing Officer has continued to refer cases where applications for rehousing
indicated a house in multiple occupation. His co-operation in this and in other problems
arising from such houses has enabled action to be taken with a minimum of hardship
to the occupants.
During the year a reinspection of a house in multiple occupation revealed that an
owner had allowed a letting to be reoccupied in contravention of a Direction given by
the Council under Section 19, Housing Act, 1961. Investigation established that the
reoccupation had taken place just over six months previously and thus Section 104,
Magistrates Courts Act, 1952 (Limitation of time) would preclude any legal action
being taken.
In another case an owner was successfully prosecuted for a similar offence but the
reoccupation could not be prevented from continuing.
It is acknowledged that reinspections at intervals of less than six months are
necessary under present legislation. These two instances, however, would appear to
demonstrate a weakness in Section 19, Housing Act, 1961, in that it does not prescribe
a daily penalty in respect of a continuing occupation in contravention of a Direction,
particularly as this Section is designed to help alleviate conditions in houses occupied
by members of more than one family.
Formal action taken during the year is shown below :
(1) Number of Management Orders made Nil
(2) Number of Directions made 8
(3) Number of Notices served requiring additional amenities 3
(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.
Whereas nearly 100 applications were received annually in the seven years following
the introduction of the Rent Act, in recent years it has been almost ignored by
tenants of controlled premises and no longer provides a means whereby an owner is
required to carry out repairs in order to receive the prescribed rent.
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