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45
Provision of Rent Books
The Landlord and Tenant Act, 1962 which came into force on the 1st November,
1962 places a duty on landlords to provide rent books or similar documents but this
requirement applies in the case of weekly tenants only.
Before this new legislation became operative legal proceedings were taken under
section 12 of the Rent Act in one case of failure to provide a rent book for the tenant of
furnished accommodation. The landlord was fined £1 and ordered to pay £1.1.0 costs to
the Corporation and £3.3 0 for an interpreter.
Rehousing on Medical Grounds
The Council s points system for assessing priority for rehousing makes some
allowance on grounds of ill-health, but it is recognised that the effect of unsatisfactory
housing conditions on the health of some applicants warrants special consideration by the
Housing Lettings Sub-Committee. To meet this need arrangements exist for the Housing
Manager to forward to the Medical Officer of Health details of housing applications where
medical evidence has been submitted supporting the need for rehousing. These cases are
then visited and an assessment made of the medical grounds and the amount of priority
which could be recommended, special regard being given to the relationship of housing
to the illness or risk of infection to others.
Whilst in a large proportion of these cases a decision can be made without
reservation whether or not to recommend the application for medical priority, others are
less easily determined. Particularly difficult are the cases of mental ill health for most
families living in cramped and difficult housing conditions are subject to mental stress
and care is taken to ensure that priority over other deserving cases is not given unless
the medical aspects can be clearly established. When any doubt exists and it is not
possible to give unqualified support for medical priority, the facts are placed before the
Sub-Committee for their consideration and decision.
Assessments of 107 cases were made where applicants had submitted medical
certificates in support of their application for rehousing.
After investigation the following recommendations were made:-
1. Urgent medical priority justified 7
2. Refer to Committee 52
3. Allow medical points 22
4. Recommend transfer to more suitable accommodation 3
5. To be reviewed at a later date 3
6. Unable to support 19
7. Circumstances changed making further action unnecessary 1