Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham]
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112.
Other districts have been inspected by the District
Inspectors.
Annual re-inspections have to be done more especially
in the case of the registered houses in order to ensure
that the owners, tenants and lodgers are carrying out
their obligations.
When a house is registered the owner is given a
copy of the byelaws but in some cases the details of the
byelaws have not been understood by the owners. Three
leaflets have now been drawn up explaining in simple
language the duties of the owners, main tenants and
lodgers respectively.
The work of the housing inspector requires a good
deal of tact as there is frequently very little sympathy
or co-operation between landlords and tenants, and
different families occupying a house are frequently at
variance with one another. Differences of opinion are
not to be wondered at when several families occupy the
same house, and it is unfortunate that on account of lack
of accommodation every family cannot have a house to
itself.
Many houses in a street have been found to be in
excellent condition while similar houses in the same
street are insanitary and defective. The fault may be
from over-use, bad tenants, bad landlords, or a combination
of these circumstances.
The average standard of cleanliness is nowadays
much higher than formerly, but some cases still leave
much to be desired. Want of decent upbringing and
education in household management as well as insufficient
knowledge of the ordinary rules of household
cleanliness often account for bad housing conditions.
These bad cases are fortunately not average examples
of working class conditions which are gradually continuing
to improve.
Housing Estates. In October, 1924, the London
County Council informed the various Borough Councils