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63
Houses Let in Lodgings.— The revised by-laws for Louses let in
lodgings, which have been under consideration by the London County
Council since 1920, are shortly to be submitted to the Minister of Health
for his confirmation. A conference was convened at the County Hall in
July for the purpose of considering the amendments suggested by the
Metropolitan borough councils while the by-laws were in draft form.
Representatives from all the boroughs attended, those from Westminster
being the Chairman of the Public Health Committee, the Town Clerk
and the Medical Officer of Health. The chief points which distinguish
these by-laws from those made by the various borough councils under
the Housing and Town Planning Act 1909, and now in force in the
respective boroughs, are as follows :—
(1) The new by-laws apply to all tenement houses occupied by the
working classes, irrespective of the rent charged for the
rooms (under the existing by-laws such houses are exempt
where the rent exceeds 15s. unfurnished, and 18s. furnished).
(2) The amount of cubic space required for each person occupying
a room used wholly or partly as a sleeping apartment is
increased to 400 cubic feet, both for adults and for children
(the existing standard is 300 cubic feet for persons over 10
years of age, and 200 for those under that age in the case of a
room used exclusively as a sleeping apartment, and 400 and
200 respectively where the room is not used exclusively for
that purpose).
(3) The tenant (person receiving rents) is prohibited from letting
rooms which are in a verminous state, and is required, in cases
where beds and bedding are supplied by him, to provide them
in a clean and wholesome condition.
(4) The lodger is required to keep clean and free from vermin all
parts of the house used exclusively by him, to keep clean
windows, walls, floors and paintwork, and to keep open for
at least one hour a day the windows of sleeping apartments.
•
(5) The owner is required to provide for each family, where
ably necessary, separate water-closet accommodation, and
accommodation for the washing of clothes and the storage,
preparation and cooking of food.
(6) The owner is required to provide windows to all habitable rooms,
and handrails to all staircases.
(7) The owner is required to pave all courts and courtyards adjoining
the premises, where necessary for the prevention or remedy