§ Where the sanitary authority are satisfied that any dwelling-house to which the principal Acts apply is not in a reasonable state of repair it shall be the duty of the authority to issue a certificate to that effect if application for such a certificate is made by the tenant of the dwelling-house, and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, such a certificate shall not be refused if a notice requiring the execution of works in, or for the benefit of the dwelling-house has been served under section seventeen of the Housing Act, 1930.—[Mr. Peat.]
§ Brought up, and read the First time.
§ 11.10 p.m.
§ Mr. PEATI beg to move, "That the Clause be read a Second time."
The Clause puts an obligation upon the local authority to issue a certificate to the tenant if in their opinion the property is not in a reasonable state of repair. It also imposes a further obligation on the local authority to issue a certificate if it has made an Order under the Housing Acts that the property is not fit for human habitation. It would 2506 seem that the practice of local authorities varies very considerably. The only criticism which, I presume, could be raised to the Clause is that it does not go far enough. Some may say a landlord should only be permitted to make an increase in rent if he holds a certificate, but that is impossible to put into practice for the very good reason that the staff available for inspecting houses would not be there. The only other criticism perhaps would be that the certificate should be issued automatically to the landlord at the same time as it is issued to the tenant. This, again, is impossible because of the subtenancy which exists in many cases, and which makes it difficult to find out who is the landlord.
§ 11.13 p.m.
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREIt is obviously right that the tenant should not pay in respect of repairs that are not done. The Government accept the Clause.
§ Clause added to the Bill.