London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Marylebone 1921
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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18
B.—PREMISES USED FOR HUMAN HABITATION.
The only premises used for human habitation in respect of which there is a
system of registration are what are called"Houses let in Lodgings"and"Common
Lodging Houses."Rooms underground if used as sleeping rooms or for human
habitation apart from rooms on the upper floors, though they are not definitely
registered, are required to comply with certain requirements contained in the Public
Health Act and special regulations. They are referred to here for this reason.
Houses Let in Lodgings:—Included under this head are all ordinary tenement
houses in which the rooms or floors are let out at rents below a certain sum. To
some extent as a result of housing shortage a very large proportion of the houses in
the Borough are of course so let, but only in the case of those in which the lettings
are below the sum fixed has the question ot registration been raised. When the
new by-laws to be made by the London County Council under The Housing, Town
Planning, etc., Act, 1919, come into operation, the number of houses on the register
will be greatly increased since no provision whatever has been made for exemption.
All houses suitable for the working classes and occupied by members of more than
one family are subject to registration, and in them there must be compliance with
certain requirements as to sanitation, cleanliness, cleansing, etc.
During the year under review no additions were made to the list of registered
houses. The actual number on the register at the end of 1921 was therefore 1,152,
most of which were registered prior to the war and before rents had attained the
present high figure.
The object of registration being largely to ensure that the houses shall be kept
under supervision, all were regularly and systematically inspected. In all 2,087
visits were paid; and notices relating to cleansing and other defects served when
necessary under the appropriate Acts. All notices were complied with without the
necessity for further proceedings arising.
Situation, etc., of Licensed Common Lodging Houses.
| Address. | Registered Owner. | Registered number of Occupants. |
|---|---|---|
| 54, Bell Street | Eliza Crew | 55 men |
| 2, Burne Street and Lisson Street | W. Bramwell Booth | 499 men |
| 6, Charlotte Place | Emma Lawson | 7 women |
| 29, Circus Street | William H. G. Richardson | 100 men |
| "Portman House"(late Shaftesbury Institute), Harrow and Union Street, Lisson Grove | Frederick Gerard van de Linde | 102 women |
| 654 men 109 women | ||
| Total | 763 |
A number of visits were paid to all the houses from time to time by officers of the
department and the attention of the person in charge or the London County Council
directed to any matter calling for remedy.
Underground Rooms.—As close supervision as possible was kept over rooms of
this class and whenever possible notices to discontinue occupation were served. The
total number dealt with in this way was 11.