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35
DWELLINGS, ROOMS AND FAMILIES IN KENSINGTON AT THE 1931 CENSUS.
In the consideration of the statistics relating to dwellings, rooms and families, it is necessary
to have in mind the following definitions :—
Private Family.—Any person or group of persons in separate occupation of any premises or part of
premises is treated as a separate family, lodgers being so treated only when boarding separately and not
otherwise. Private families comprise all such families with the exception of those enumerated in (i)
institutions, or (ii) business establishments or boarding houses in which the number of resident trade
assistants or resident boarders exceeds the number of members of the employer's or householder's family
(including private domestic servants).
Structurally Separate Dwelling.—A structurally separate dwelling is any room or set of rooms intended or
used for habitation, having separate access either to the street or to a common landing or staircase. Thus
each flat in a block ot flats is a separate unit; a private house which has not been structurally sub-divided
is similarly a single unit whether occupied by one family or several families. But where a private house
has been sub-divided into maisonettes or portions, each having its front door opening on to the street or on
a common landing or staircase to which visitors have access, then each such portion is treated as a separate
unit.

The structurally separate dwellings occupied in Kensington now number 28,999, as compared
with 27,056 in 1921, so that the net effect of all new construction, conversions and demolition during
the past ten years is an increase of 1,943 in the number of structurally separate dwellings, or 7-18
per cent. The increase of 874 in South Kensington is due (i) largely to the conversion of singlefamily
houses into several self-contained flats or maisonettes, each of which comes within the
definition of a structurally separate dwelling, and (ii) to the erection of large blocks of flats on sites
previously occupied by single-family houses.
Whilst the number of structurally separate dwellings in South Kensington shows an increase
of 874, there has not been any considerable increase in the amount of accommodation available.
It will be seen that in South Kensington there are 1,496 fewer rooms occupied than there were
ten years ago, although there has been an increase of 2,300 in the number of families.
Individual families living in South Kensington are occupying on the average less accommodation
than hitherto, and the average size of the family is getting less. In the old days the occupier of
a large house had under his roof his staff of servants, including in many cases married couples.
To-day many of these occupiers live in maisonettes, and their servants are more often daily workers
who live as separate families elsewhere.
In South Kensington there are 5,395 more private families than occupied dwellings, which shows
an increase of 35-93 per cent, on the figure for 1921.
In North Kensington there are now 1,069 more structurally separate dwellings occupied than
there were in 1921. A few new houses have been built by private enterprise, and in a few cases
houses have been converted into self-contained maisonettes, which are regarded as structurally
separate dwellings ; but the increase is almost entirely due to the erection of 540 flats by the Sutton
Trust, over 300 flats and cottages by the borough council, and flats and houses by voluntary
housing bodies. The fact that the increase in structurally separate dwellings is due largely to new
construction in North Kensington, whereas in South Kensington it is due chiefly to conversion
of houses into maisonettes, may be inferred from the increase of 4,371 in the number of rooms
occupied in North Kensington, as compared with the decrease of 1,496 rooms occupied in South
Kensington.
The number of private families in North Kensington shows an increase of 2,412, whereas the
number of structurally separate dwellings occupied increased by only 1,069. Thus there is a growing