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38
Landlord and Tenant Act, 1962: Provision of Rent Books
For failing to provide his tenant with a rent book, a landlord was fined £10 and
costs of 2 guineas were awarded to the Corporation.
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 warrant 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.
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. When any doubt exists and it is not possible to give
unqualified support for medical prioritys the facts are placed before the Sub-Committee
for their consideration and decision.
It will be appreciated that a comparatively large proportion of recommendations
for rehousing on medical grounds are made for older persons suffering from a disability
caused or exacerbated by their age. They usually need one bedroom accommodation
either on the ground floor or in premises with a lift. Some cases were seen who
would have been eminently suitable for the proposed Old People's accommodation with the
attendance of a Warden.
Assessments of 106 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 5
2. Refer to Committee 33
3. Allow medical points 33
4. Recommend transfer to more suitable
acconmodation 3
5. To be reviewed at a later date 6
6. Unable to support 2J
7. Circumstance changed making further
action unnecessary 1
Certificates of Disrepair
Very little use is now made of the Rent Act provisions for an abatement in rent
of controlled tenancies where the landlord has failed to keep the property in good
repair. This is shewn by the following summary of applications dealt with in
1963.