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148
is the continual extension of the nub-letting system. Tn
order to secure a house in which to live many working men
are compelled to rent houses considerably beyond their means
and to recoup themselves by sub-letting. In other cases,
houses originally constructed for the occupation of one family,
are let off by the owners themselves to two or more families
according to the size of the premises. In a very small proportion
of cases this may not be objectionable owing to
special circumstances, but, as a general rule, it is a most important
and distinctly unfavourable factor in connection with
the sanitary condition of dwelling houses. The responsibility
for maintaining certain parts of the house in a proper condition
is divided between two or more occupiers, and results in
neglect and a reduced standard of cleanliness. Many of the
houses are structurally unfit for such occupation, due to the
insufficiency and unsuitable position of the sanitary accommodation.
Small bath rooms are used as sculleries, the bath
being frequently used as a receptacle for miscellaneous rubbis.fi,
and domestic refuse is often kept for hours in rooms or on
landings to save the trouble of a journey to the ashbin in the
common yard. In some cases, cleanliness is discouraged by
the inconvenient position of the water supply and the absence
of proper provision for carrying off refuse water. A notable
feature is also the absence of larders or any proper facilities
for the storage of food, especially on the upper floors. This
system of housing may also be the means of bringing together
in the same house families of widely diverse habits with very
bad results, and, generally, it militates against a healthy
environment, is inimical to the privacy, morality and usual
amenities of the home and also results in a serious depreciation
of property. There can be no doubt that occupants
of these houses could, in many instances, greatly improve the
conditions of their home life, but it cannot be disputed that
they are the victims of a housing system which is unquestionably
bad and it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to
alter or check the growth of such a system under existing
economic conditions in a district such as Finchley without the
aid of the local authority.