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73
housing.
Before proceeding to consider the information thus obtained, it will he well to recite the
provisions of the By-laws as to exemptions. They are as follow :—
Houses are exempt where—
(a) The landlord resides himself and sublets to one family only.
(b) The rents for each tenement are not less than
Unfurnished Lodgings.
(i.) Single room, 4s. 6d. a week—provided not more than two persons occupy such room,
(ii.) Two or more rooms, 7s. 6d. a week.
Furnished Rooms.
(iii.) Single room, 6s. a week—provided not more than two persons occupy such room,
(iv.) Two or more rooms, 10s. a week.
The information (see Table 47) obtained relates to .1,949 separate lodgings, viz.:—
1,567 of one room each 361 of three rooms each
1,944 „ two rooms „ 71 „ four „
3 of five or more rooms.
Of the one room tenements 305 (23 per cent.) were let at rentals above the limit (4s. 6d.).
The number of occupants in each of these tenements was not taken. In previous years
67 per cent. of all one-rooms were found to be occupied by one or two persons. It is unlikely
that among the higher priced tenements the proportion would be so high. Further enquiries
will be made on the subject.
In the case of two-room tenements 199 (10 per cent.) were exempted bv rental, the
numbers for the tenements of 3 and 4 rooms being 252 and 69, or 69 and 98 per cent.
respectively. The amount of overcrowding prevailing in these tenements is verv small, and
registration is consequently not so urgently needed as in the case of tenements of one and
two rooms.
When a house is let to a number of families it is rare to find all the tenements exempt bv
rent, and the house therefore goes on the register subject to the exclusion from inspection of
the exempt tenements.
The results of the inquiry are not sufficiently definite in all particulars to justify the
expression of a final opinion, but so far as they go they do not confirm the suspicion originally
entertained.
This is the first occasion that particulars of rentals have been obtained over an extensive
area. The only information previously collected related to the Clarendon Street Area, where
inquiries were made in 1901. The appended Table (48) shows the rents charged for each class
of tenement in 1901 and 1905. The absolute accuracy of the figures cannot be guaranteed, but
they are sufficiently correct for purposes of comparison. The changes are somewhat remarkable,
the reductions in the numbers of the lower rented tenements being striking. The
average increases per week work out (approximately) at
6d. for single room and 9d. for two and three room tenements.
The increases represent a net increase in turnover for the whole area of about £115 per
week, or nearly £6,000 per annum.