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(1) Improvements in Houses Let in Lodgings secured during the year by the Permanent and
porary Sanitary Inspectors.
At the time of making their detailed inspections, the two Temporary Sanitary Inspectors
prepared a list of all defects found and improvements required, and issued Intimation Notices
calling for the necessary repairs and alterations. The details in regard to each house were
reported at the fortnightly meetings specially held for this purpose by the Public Health
Committee, who gave directions for the issue of Statutory Notices in necessary cases with a view
to bringing the houses up to the highest reasonable standard of habitability attainable under
present legislation.
The drains were tested in every case and notices served in respect of defects found.
The Temporary Sanitary Inspectors paid 1,781 visits to 1,238 houses let in lodgings and
served 994 Intimation Notices.
For many years past, the District Sanitary Inspectors have endeavoured to visit every
registered house in the Borough at least once a year but, owing to the increase in the number of
houses on the register and the volume of other work, it has been found impossible to make an
inspection of all registered houses during a period of twelve months. In the year 1927, the number
of registered houses inspected was 963, and the number of visits paid to these houses was 8,359.
(2) Improvements in Mews Dwellings.
During the year the ten District Sanitary Inspectors have continued the work commenced in
1925 of inspecting and bringing up to standard the mews dwellings in the Borough. Six hundred
and four had been dealt with by them during 1925, 375 during 1926, and 127 were inspected in a
routine manner in 1927. Sixty-nine Intimation Notices under the Public Health Act were served in
respect of the 127 dwellings inspected, Although there are 2,091 mews dwellings in the Borough,
the routine inspections may be considered to be completed as far as is necessary, for most of the
mews dwellings remaining uninspected are in South Kensington and are in a satisfactory condition
or have in recent years been converted into private houses which are let at good rentals to people
of the professional and semi-professional classes.
(3) Closing Orders.
One thousand and thirty-three underground rooms were submitted to routine inspection and
50 of these were reported to the Public Health Committee as not complying with the Council's
Regulations. Forty-six were made to comply after Informal Notices had been served and in 4
cases Closing Orders were issued. None of these Closing Orders was determined during the year.
(4) Work under Section 3 of the Housing Act, 1925.
Section 28 of the 1919 Act (now repealed) provided that if the owner of a house suitable for
the working classes failed to keep it in all respects reasonably fit for habitation, the Council could
require him to execute such works as were necessary. The owner could appeal, and might, in
certain circumstances, close the house; but if he neither exercised his rights nor carried out the
repairs, the Council could do the work and recover the cost thereof with interest.
Section 28 has been replaced by Section 3 of the Housing Act, 1925, which, in addition to
giving powers similar to those under Section 28, grants to the Council the powers and remedies
of a mortgagee under the Conveyancing Acts, 1881-1922, for the purpose of recovering their
expenses.
The new Section also defines the appeals of which an owner may take advantage and prescribes
the times within which they must be made, with the result that certain doubts which existed
in regard to the interpretation of Section 28 have been removed, and the Council are able to feel
much more secure in availing themselves of the powers granted.
Particulars of action taken in 1927 under Section 3 of the 1925 Act are as follow: —
(1) Number of houses in respect of which notices have been served 21
(2) Number of houses in which repairs were carried out by the owner 6
(3) Number of houses in which the Council carried out the work in default
of the owner 4
The total cost to the Council in carrying out repairs under Section 3 in 1927 was £543, and
this, added to the expenditure incurred in connection with this class of work since the commencement
of 1923, gives a total of £1,763. The amount repaid to the Council is £823, and the
remaining sum with interest at five per cent., is being recovered.
HOUSING STATISTICS FOR 1927.
1.—Unfit Dwelling-houses.
Inspection—
(1) Total number of dwelling houses inspected for housing defects
(under Public Health or Housing Acts) 6,707
(2) Number of dwelling houses which were inspected and recorded
under the Housing Consolidated Regulations, 1925 2,139