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29
ful life before them if they are properly maintained.
It is this lack of maintenance - for the economic reasons
mentioned - which is creating the problem of future areas for
clearance.
It has been said that the persons owning a few houses must
sell one of them to pay for repairs to the remainder. This can
easily be true.
The only solution appears to be some form of rent revision,
with proper safeguards that any permitted increases are spent on
repairs.
Housing Act, Sections 9 and 10
The application of the provisions of these sections has
continued throughout the year. A question which required some
consideration when inspecting houses as a result of complaints is,
whether to deal only with the complaint or to inspect the whole
house.
Owners often make the point that the tenant has not complained
about certain items which may appear in a notice. But
the inclusion or the exclusion of anything on a notice must be
left to the judgment of the sanitary inspector In this way the
criticism, that the tenant is setting the standard can be avoided.
Only too often inspectors are asked to include items of a decorative
character on the notice simply because it has not been done
for many years. It must not be forgotten that in any case of
appeal the inspector will be required to justify - to the Court
the inclusion of any item on the notice,
The following is a summary of work carried out under Sections
9 and 10 in the owner's default, during the past 15 years,
namely:-