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London County Council.
HOUSES LET IN LODGINGS.
Further report by the Medical Officer of Health as to the operation of By-Laws
dealing with Houses let in Lodgings in the several sanitary districts of the
County of London.
(Printed by order of the Public Health Committee, 9th July, 1897.)
Public Health Department,
Spring Gardens,
September, 1897.
The Council resolved on December 1st last "That the medical officer be instructed to make a
further inquiry at Midsummer, 1897, as to the extent to which by-laws or regulations dealing with
houses let in lodgings are enforced in the several sanitary districts of London, with a view to the
Council making a representation to the Local Government Board under section 101 of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, in the case of any sanitary authority which is not by that time carrying
out the provisions of section 94 of the Act." The Council further resolved to communicate a copy of
the Committee's report and the Council's resolution thereon to each of the London sanitary authorities.
With a view to obtaining further information on the subject, I have forwarded to medical officers
of health a proof of the statement made concerning their districts in my report of December, 1895, on
By-laws under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and obtained from them such corrections as
were necessary to bring this statement up to date.

Inquiry has also been made by Dr. Hamer who visited the several districts for this purpose,
and I now present to the Committee his report, which shows the extent of progress made by each
sanitary authority in London exclusive of the City, in fulfilment of the statutory obligation of making
and enforcing by-laws for houses let in lodgings.
From this report it will be seen that in every district by-laws or regulations now exist. In
the majority of districts the requirements as to cubic space per person are the same, but in a few
districts, having regulations made years ago under the Sanitary Act of 1866, the requirement is
somewhat smaller. In all cases but one in which by-laws have been made and confirmed under
the Public Health Act, 1891, 400 cubic feet per adult person is required in rooms occupied by day and by
night, but in Clerkenwell, the exception referred to, the amount is 350. This is to be regretted.
By-laws or regulations are not enforced in every district; in Bethnal Green, Lambeth, Lee,
Newington, Paddington, Poplar, St. Saviour Southwark, Stoke Newington, Battersea and Chelsea, no
houses are now regulated. In Lambeth the by-laws have only been recently confirmed. In
Paddington an inspector has recently been appointed to deal with the subject. In some of the
parishes of Lee houses are mostly occupied by one family. In Battersea a large number of houses have
been entered in a register but no action has been taken to make them subject to the by-laws. In the
other districts mentioned there is no evidence that the sanitary authorities will comply with the
requirement of the Public Health Act. There are other districts where but a trifling number
No. 352. —Price 4d. Sold by Edward Stanford, 26 and 27, Cockspur-street, Charing-cross, S. W.
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