As the years passed it became clear that the building’s internal structure – in particular requiring residents to share bathrooms and toilets – was incompatible with modern housing standards. It became ever harder to gain new occupants when existing ones either moved or passed on, making the building uneconomical to run as rental income declined.
Guildford Borough Council (the body superseding the Rural District Council) took the decision to demolish Howard Court and replace it with modern self-contained flats and houses under the management of a housing association.