Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847

Lodging Houses

And with respect to Lodging Houses, be it enacted as follows:

CXVI For the Regulation and Inspection of Lodging Houses.

It shall not be lawful to keep or use as a public Lodging House' within the Limits of the special Act any House, hot being a Licensed Victualling House, which shall be fated to the Relief of the Poor on a less Sum than Ten Pounds, nor in any case unless such House shall have been registered as a Lodging House in a Book to be kept by the Commissioners for that Purpose; and every House shall be deemed a public Lodging House within the Meaning of this Act in which Persons are harboured or lodged for Hire for a single Night, or for less than a Week at One Time, or any Part of which is let for any Term less than a Week,

CXVII Commissioners to keep a Register of Lodging House Keepers, and make Rules for promoting Cleanliness and Ventilation.

The Commissioners shall cause a Register to be kept in which shall be entered the Names of all such Persons as apply to have the Houses occupied by them registered as Lodging Houses, and the Situations of such Houses ; and the Commissioners shall from Time to Time fix the Number of Lodgers who may be received into each such Lodging House, and make Rules for promoting Cleanliness and Ventilation in such Lodging House; and they shall order that a Ticket containing the Number of Lodgers allowed to be received into the House, and a Table of Rules for promoting Cleanliness and Ventilation, shall be hung up or placed in a conspicuous Part of each Room into which Lodgers are received; and the Keepers of all such Lodging Houses shall at all Times observe the said Rules, and give Access to such Lodging Houses, when required by any Persons appointed by the Commissioners, for the Purpose of Inspection thereof, or for the Purpose of performing therein any disinfecting Process, which the Commissioners may order.

CXVIII Penalty on Lodging House Keepers not complying with the Provisions of the Act.

Every Person who shall keep any Lodging House, and receive Lodgers therein, without such Lodging House having been duly registered, or who shall receive into the same more Lodgers than shall be allowed by the Commissioners, or who shall fail to keep such Ticket or such Table of Rules as aforesaid hung up or displayed as required by the Commissioners, or who shall neglect to cause such Rules to be observed in any such Lodging House, or who shall refuse to admit to such Lodging House at all reasonable Times any Person appointed by the Commissioners for any of the Purposes aforesaid, or who shall wilfully obstruct any such Person in performing any disinfecting Process therein which the Commissioners may order, shall be liable to a Penalty not exceeding Forty Shillings for each such Offence.