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Section 36 of the Housing Act, 1957 is replaced by section 15 of the 1961 Act,
which includes additional factors which the Council may consider when deciding whether
action should be taken to require works to be carried out to render the premises
suitable for multiple occupation. The Council have adopted the following code with a
view to standardising procedure under this section.
STANDARDS OF ACCOMMODATION FOR HOUSES IN
MUTIPLE OCCUPATION
1. Natural and Artificial Lighting. -Every habitable room being a room used or suitable
for use for living or sleeping purposes, shall be provided with one or more windows in
the external walls of the room and having an aggregate area clear of the window frame
amounting to not less than one tenth of the area of the floor of the room.
Every kitchen, scullery, bathroom, water closet, staircase, landing, corridor and
passage shall, where practicable, be provided with one or more windows in the external
walls and adequate to provide a reasonable degree of natural lighting therefor.
Every habitable room and every kitchen, scullery, bathroom, water closet, staircase,
landing, corridor andpassage shall be provided with adequate means of artificial
lighting which shall be available during the hours of darkness and the means of operating
such lighting shall be readily available to all persons properly within the said
habitable room, kitchen, scullery, bathroom, water closet, staircase, landing, corridor
and passage.
2. Ventilation. - Every habitable room shall be provided with one or more windows which
can be opened directly into the external air to an extent equivalent in aggregate area
of not less than one twentieth of the floor area of the room.
Every kitchen, scullery, bathroom, water closet, staircase, landing, corridor and
passage shall be provided as far as practicable with one or more windows which can be
opened directly into the external air sufficient to provide reasonably adequate natural
ventilation and where the provision of such reasonable ventilation by means of a window
or windows is not practicable there shall be provided adequate permanent ventilation
by other approved means.
3. Water Supply. - A sufficient supply of wholesome water for domestic purposes shall
be provided on the storey or one of the storeys in which the room or rooms in separate
occupation of each family occupying the house are situated.
4. Personal Washing Facilities. - Where the sink and water supply required under
paragraph 6 below are shared by members of more than one family or are in a position
which does not ensure reasonable privacy to the members of each separate family, there
shall be provided within the room or rooms occupied as a separate dwelling, or in some
readily accessible separate apartment, a sound and suitable lavatory basin properly
connected to the drainage system and provided with a constant supply of cold water at
such lavatory basin.