London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Marylebone 1924

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]

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19
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 and Housing Acts 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 of 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 number of houses
listed for registration. All houses on the Council's site in Capland Street were
demolished preparatory to the commencement of the housing scheme; the actual
number remaining on the list at the end of 1923 was 1,115, most being houses
which were registered prior to the War and before rents had attained the present
high figure. •
In all, 11,798 visits were paid to houses let in lodgings without regard to the
rentals, and 2,000 notices relating to cleansing and other defects were served
under the appropriate Acts.
Common Lodging Houses.—The following table contains all the necessary
particulars with regard to the licensed premises of this class in the borough.

Situation, etc., of Licensed Common Lodging Houses.

AddressRegistered OwnerRegistered number of Occupants
54, Bell StreetEliza Crew55 men
2, Burne Street and Lisson StreetW. Bramwell Booth499 men
6, Charlotte PlaceEmma Lawson7 women
29, Circus StreetWilliam H. G. Richardson100 men
"Portinan House" (late Shaftesbury Institute), Harrow and Union Street, Lisson GroveEllen Homewood102 women
654 men 109 women
Total763

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 4.