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from owners and others interested in the premises has been continued with
satisfactory results. So far only in those cases where underground rooms
have become vacant and where an undertaking not to relet for sleeping
purposes has been accepted but not observed does the necessity for a closing
order arise. Closing orders entail a daily penalty for non-observance. As
the undertakings given were all adhered to no closing orders were made
during the year in review.
The Council itself is constantly relieving illegal underground dwellers
by rehousing them in its own flats and it would be intolerable if such
underground rooms were again to become illegally occupied and to cause
further applications for rehousing.
During the year written undertakings in respect of 149 premises were
given under the Housing Act, 1930, sec. 20, by owners and also in many
cases by tenants subletting, that rooms in basements which were contrary
to the Act would not be relet or used as sleeping places.
Fourteen notices were served re illegal occupation. The number of
underground dwellings found to be illegally occupied under the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, sec. 96, during 1933, was 31, while underground
sleeping rooms occupied contrary to the City Council's regulations
numbered 59, a total of 90.
Twenty-eight underground rooms discovered during the year to bo
occupied contrary to the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, sec. 96, or
to the Council's regulations, have ceased to be occupied illegally. In
addition, illegal occupation in 19 cases recorded last year has also
disappeared.
Housing Problems in Westminster.—The dwellings which present
unsatisfactory features are of three main types—(a) The cottage properties,
rarely overcrowded but generally suffering from age, decay and
dampness, (b) Tenement houses sublet to families either in single rooms
or more showing overcrowding sometimes, basement occupation nearly
always, but not necessarily illegal; the main troubles in the tenement
houses are dampness and darkness of basements, the lack of convenient
cooking, washing and sanitary arrangements upstairs, (c) The combined
tenement dwelling with shop or work place ; in these the dwelling part
is often more dilapidated than the wholly tenement house and they
can only be dealt with by nuisance law. They are not solely working
class houses and the by-laws for tenement houses are not applicable.
Frequently in the occupation of non-British citizens, their number, owing
to the encroachment of purely business premises, is fortunately decreasing,
particularly in the Northern districts of the city.
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