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The table shows that the extent to which these houses are inspected differs widely in the several
districts. In some districts the inspections are three or even four times as numerous as the houses
registered, in others the number of inspections is only equal to or even less than the number of houses
subject to regulation. In respect of the latter districts it must be said that the fewness of the
inspections at least raises question as to whether compliance with the by-laws is being required. The
question of the sufficiency of the staff of inspectors is referred to in some of the annual reports. In
St. Marylebone the staff of inspectors has been increased and "a special house-to-house inspector"
appointed. Dr. McCleary reports that in Hampstead the number of tenements which might with
advantage be dealt with under by-laws is considerably in excess of the number actually registered,
"but hitherto, the staff of inspectors has been inadequate to deal with a greater number.'' In
Greenwich, Dr. Annis writes: "Towards the latter part of the year a lady sanitary inspector was
appointed, one of whose duties being to specially take in hand the question of registration of this
class of property."
In the last annual report it was stated that in an appeal case "Arlidge v. Islington Borough
Council," a by-law relating to cleansing was held to be unreasonable, inasmuch as it required the landlord
of a house let in lodgings to cause the house to be cleansed, although he might not be able to do this
without committing a trespass. Hence this by-law was rendered invalid. To meet this difficulty, a provision
(Section 16) was included in the Housing and Town Planning Act, but it has become necessary to
amend by-laws which were made prior to the coming into force of the Act, so as to make the provisions
of Section 16 available. Dr. Dudfield reports that new by-laws for Paddington were under consideration
at the end of the year. Dr. Sandilands states that new by-laws for Kensington were awaiting
the approval of the Local Government Board, and Dr. Annis states that new by-laws for Greenwich
were approved by the Local Government Board.
Furnished
room.
The subject of the regulation of "furnished rooms" in tenement houses was referred to in
the last annual report. There is a class of house thus let which has increased in number since the provision
for "married couples" in common lodging-houses has decreased. These houses are largely
situated in the neighbourhood of common lodging-houses, are occupied by persons of the same class
as that which resorts to common lodging-houses, and, indeed, are often owned by the keepers of these
houses. The conditions needing control extend beyond those which can be dealt with by enforcement
of sanitary requirements, and a system of licensing would appear to provide the best remedy.
A precedent for the application of the principle of licensing of particular keepers is to be found in the law
relating to common lodging-houses under the Public Health Act of 1875. A keeper who has been
convicted three times may be required to obtain the licence of the local authority. Keepers of
houses let in furnished rooms and whose houses have been proved to be a nuisance to the neighbourhood
in which those houses are situated might well be placed under similar obligation.
Water supply
to upper
floors of
tenement
houses
Sanitary authorities have increasingly used the powers provided by section 78 of the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1907, for requiring the provision of a water supply to the upper
floors of tenement houses.
(a) The registered premises are being re-examined and re-registered, and at the end of the year 501 of these
premises had b een so dealt with.
(b) For overcrowding. (c) For other conditions.