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purpose of a common lodging house. The total number of ordinary dwelling houses taken up by
these five common lodging houses is eight. The houses are the ordinary basement type commonly
found in that district, and were originally built as single family houses; they are ill-adapted for
their present use, and they make probably the poorest kind of common lodging house in London.
Perhaps the worst feature is the fact that the basement is used as a common kitchen in three cases.
Apart from common lodging houses maintained by the Church Army and other philanthropic
bodies, the women's common lodging houses in Kensington are the cheapest in London—the charge
per woman per night, for bed and the use of the kitchen and cooking utensils being 8d. It will be
seen that they provide accommodation for the poorest of those unfortunate creatures who have
drifted to a common lodging house life.
It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the presence of these women, who, for the most
part come from the lowest ranks of society, must necessarily constitute an effective bar to the
progress of social reform in the neighbourhood where the common lodging houses are situated.
The inspection of common lodging houses is carried out by the inspectors of the London
County Council, who exercise effective control under a system of annual licensing. If a house is
not kept in conformity with the by-laws, the renewal of the license can be refused, and in this
way the necessity for resorting to the cumbersome procedure of prosecution for each offence as it
arises is avoided. The adoption of a similar system of annual licensing would materially strengthen
the hands of the Sanitary Inspectors in dealing with the houses let in furnished lodgings, and
special powers for the control of such houses are needed.
HOUSES LET IN LODGINGS.
It is beyond dispute that one of the most difficult housing problems in Kensington is the
sanitary control of houses let in lodgings.
There are in the Borough to-day over 5,000 houses let in lodgings and occupied by the
working classes without having been specially adapted for the purpose. These houses are not
small, usually they have eight or nine large living rooms and, in addition to the basement, there are
a ground floor, first floor and second floor, with perhaps only one W.C., and one water tap, both in
the basement; and as there are no sinks upstairs, in addition to the carrying of clean water up,
dirty water has to be carried down.
These houses were originally intended for one family, but it is not uncommon now to find them
occupied by 2, 3, 4, 5, or perhaps even 7 or 8 families.
It is impossible to estimate the population living in these tenement houses, but, at a low
estimate, it is certainly not less than 60,000.
Conditions arising from the War, including the high cost of repairs and labour, have resulted
in considerable deterioration of this class of property and the question of control becomes one of
great importance. Further, the houses let in lodgings problem in Kensington is one which will
probably grow in magnitude because the Borough contains a large number of single family houses
for which there is every year less demand owing to domestic and other economic difficulties.
In some parts of the Borough, these large houses are being converted into high-class flats and
maisonettes, but in those parts bordering on the tenement house district, there is a tendency for
houses vacated by single families to be let off in lodgings to several families, without being specially
adapted for the purpose.
The Council have certain powers under various Acts of Parliament and they also have by-laws,
but these are not sufficient for their purpose and Parliament has recognised this in the Housing
Act of 1919. Section 26 of this Act provides that by-laws for this class of property shall be made
by the London County Council and that such by-laws so made shall be observed and enforced
by each Metropolitan Borough Council. The County Council submitted draft by-laws to the
Minister of Health and. after certain alterations, the Minister returned them to the County Council
with an intimation that he was prepared to approve them as amended.
This is now over two years ago, but the County Council have not yet re-submitted the by-laws
for the Minister's final approval. In view of the urgent need of the by-laws for the prevention of
further deterioration of Kensington houses, a deputation from the Borough Council waited on the
County Council's Public Health Committee in February of this year to ask that the by-laws should
receive immediate consideration.
The number of houses let in lodgings on the Council's register at the end of the year was
2,169. The effect of registration is to render the premises subject to the requirements of the
Council's By-Laws made under Section 94 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, as extended
by Section 16 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc. Act, 1909.
The inspections and re-inspections of the registered lodging houses in the Borough during 1922
numbered 7,051. The owners of twenty-two lodging houses were summoned for breaches of the
lodging house by-laws, or for failure to carry out sanitary works required by the Council.
Particulars relating to the defects found and the notices served are to be found in Table VIa
of the Appendix.
Houses Let in Furnished Rooms.—Of the 2,169 lodging houses on the Council's Register,
95 were in 1922 let in furnished rooms, the average rent charged being at the rate of 7/- per week
per room.