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38
Houses in Multiple Occupation, (including hostels)
The provisions of the Housing Act, 1936, (Sections 6-8)
and the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, (Section 155), enabling
local authorities in London to make and enforce byelaws relating
to houses let in lodgings and hostels respectively, were
superseded by provisions contained in Sections 11 and 12 of the
Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, which apply to any house
or part of a house "which is let in lodgings or occupied by
members of more than one family." A general power is given to
the Council to require in houses, which are in multi-occupation,
an adequate provision of the following services and amenities
Natural lighting;
Ventilation;
Water supply;
Drainage and sanitary conveniences;
Facilities for storage, preparation and cooking
of food, and for the disposal of waste water;
Overcrowding of sleeping rooms.
Section 11 enables the Council to take action if in their
opinion the premises are so defective in the matters set out
above as not to be reasonably suitable for the number of persons
or households in occupation. In such cases they may serve a
notice on the person in control: (a) specifying the works
required to render the premises reasonably suitable for
occupation by those persons or households; (b) requiring the
person in control, in default of executing these works within
the prescribed period, to take such steps as are reasonably
open to him (including, if necessary, the taking of legal
proceedings) for securing a reduction in the number of persons
accommodated or the number of households, or both, as specified
in the notice.
Thus, where a notice is served, a choice is given, either
to carry out the specified works, or, alternatively, to reduce
the intensity of occupation of the house, in which case
possession of the house or parts of the house can be obtained
by an owner notwithstanding the Rents Acts.
Under Section 12, the Council may serve a notice on the
occupier, or the person having the control and management of
a house or part of a house, where excessive numbers of persons
are accommodated, specifying in relation to any room on the
premises the maximum number of persons by whom it is suitable
to be occupied for sleeping purposes at any one time, or, if
appropriate, that the room is unsuitable to be occupied for
sleeping purposes. It will be an offence after the notice has
become operative to cause or allow any rooms to be occupied
otherwise than in accordance with the notice, or to cause or
permit the accommodation to be so occupied that it is not
possible to avoid persons of opposite sexes over the age of
12 years (excluding persons living together as husband and wife)
occupying sleeping accommodation in the same room.
The premises affected vary considerably and render
impracticable the provision of a single rigid code of requirements
applicable to all cases; indeed, such a code would appear to be
contrary to the wishes of the Minister, who has expressed the
view that the provision of the prescribed services and amenities
should be decided on the merits of each case.
On 5th April, 1955, the Council adopted the following as
standards of the essential services and amenities which will be
considered as satisfactory in appropriate cases:-
A house or part of house which is let in lodgings or