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129
HOUSES LET IN LODGINGS.
The Committee had under consideration judgment of the High
Court (King's Bench Division) on appeal from decisions of Police
Magistrates in connection with the enforcement of the By-laws of
the Boroughs of Stepney and Islington relating to Houses Let in
Lodgings. The charge in both cases was that the landlord of a
lodging-house did not in the first week in April cause every part
of the premises to be cleansed as required by the by-laws, and
in one case the summons was dismissed, and in the other the
defendant was fined.
The Lord Chief Justice, in delivering judgment in both cases,
stated that in his opinion the by-laws were bad, because they did
not provide that the persons who were made responsible for" seeing
that the things were done should receive the necessary notice.
In his opinion the by-laws required remodelling, with the point of
view not of removing the liability of the landlord but of giving
him notice before subjecting him to penalties.
The By-laws of the Poplar Borough Council were similar to the
by-laws in question in that there was no provision for notice to be
given to landlords to cleanse the premises before proceedings were
taken for penalties, although in practice such notice was invariably
given.
A communication was addressed by thei Commitee to the Local
Government Board with a view to settling a form of amendment of
the existing by-laws to provide for notice to be given.
The Council approved the action of the Committee.
The Local Government Board submitted amended model bylaws
and suggested the Council should consider the desirability of
amending their by-laws in a corresponding manner, which was
accordingly done by the Council on the 2nd June, and the Local
Government Board confirmed the by-laws on tiie 7th September.
The clauses lelating to the service of notices and penalties in
the new by-laws are as follows: —
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