Conisbrough House Repairs – “Property Owners Have Had Raw Deal”: Councillor

July 1951

South Yorkshire Tines, July 21, 1951

Conisbrough House Repairs

“Property Owners Have Had Raw Deal”: Councillor

“In my opinion the property owners have had a very raw deal,” said Coun. E. Beeson after County Coun. P. Roberts J.P. had complained at Monday’s Conisbrough Urban Council meeting that local property owners were neglecting their duties and failing to carry out necessary repairs.

Pointing out that the rents received did not bear comparison with present day building costs, Coun. Beeson said “These people just cannot carry on. That, in my opinion, is the reason why houses that have been up 40, 50, 60 years are falling into a state of disrepair.”

“We must not be down all the time on these property owners,” Coun. Beeson said, “because in my opinion they need some sympathy as well.”

County Coun. Roberts said that the Council did not expect to get blood out of a stone, but they did expect respect.  If the owners were going to flout the Council and pay no attention to notices then the Council would have to take action. “We have to protect the public” he said.

Coun. H. S. Peet alleged that in many cases the first person to learn of the need for repairs in non-council houses was the Sanitary Inspector. “In many cases the landlord doesn’t know anything about the repairs until he is served with a notice,” Coun. Peet said. “He does not get a chance to do them.”

In one case, Coun. Peet said, a landlord had received notice from his agent that a long list of repairs needed to be done. Two or three days later he received an official notice from the Sanitary Inspector that 16 repairs were needed, not one of which he had been asked to do by the tenant.  “Surely that is all wrong.” Coun. Peet said,” We are painting these landlords black – perhaps some of them are black – but that is not the correct procedure.”

Coun. R. H. Shephard said it was the duty of the Public Health Committee to see that houses were fit for people to live in. Landlords who were unable to carry out repairs during the war should have put money on one side to use for repair work after the war.

The Sanitary Inspector (Mr. R. E. Ingleby) said that it was only in odd cases that he was notified of the need for repairs before the owner or agent.