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132 Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
6 of these were served on account of overcrowding.
In consequence of a letter from the London County Council
the following report was made to the Committee:—
12th February, 1903.
To THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
With reference to the letter from the London County Council
calling attention to the fact that in this Borough there are 21,000
houses of five rooms and under, and that only 116 houses have
been placed on the Register of Houses-Let-in-Lodgings, I have
had an inquiry made into the matter, and an approximate estimate
made of the number of houses which would come under the
By-laws of Houses-Let-in-Lodgings which are in force in this
Borough.
In the first place the number of houses which are flats containing
five rooms and under must be deducted from the total of
21,000, as these flats do not come under the By-laws. Roughly
speaking there are 6,000 flats presently occupied, and this number
is rapidly increasing as a considerable proportion of the new
houses which are being erected for the working classes, are flats
with separate entrances.
The total number of houses which come under the By-laws
is about 6,300, but about 5,000 of these houses are let to tenants
who in turn sub-let.
It is almost impossible for the By-laws to be carried out satisfactorily
where this latter form of letting is in force, as the
tenant who sub-lets is not in a position financially to carry out the
requirements, and registration of these, as long as the By-law
remains as at present would be of no advantage.
It always has been my practice to advise the Committee to
place houses on the Register which are occupied by more than
two families, but even in those the same difficulty as to the definition
of "Landlord" has arisen.