STRICT CONTROLS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 237, 4 July 1944, Page 4

STRICT CONTROLS

By-Law For Boarding And Rooming Houses

WELLINGTON CITY MOVE The licensing of boarding houses is provided for in a by-law for the control of these and similar premises adopted by the Wellington City Council yesterday. This by-law will not come into force till it has been publicly advertised, and certain other legal requirements have been complied with. It stipulates that no building or part thereof shall be occupied or used as a boarding house unless licensed by the council.

The licensing, inspection arid regulation of boarding houses and houses in which persons are lodged for a night or longer (other than common lodging houses and licensed hotels) are provided for. A boarding house is defined as a residence in which lodging alone (no board) or board and lodging are provided for a night or longer for live or more lodgers or boarders, with or without the use of furniture, and including a boarding house, rooming house, private hotel, residential club, hostel and institution and, where necessary, a portion of a building or combination of two or more buildings or parts thereof.

A “keejier” means a person, whatever may be the nature or extent of his interest in the premises, by whom or on whose behalf a boarding house is let, or who receives, or is entitled to receive, the profits arising from the letting or occupation.

An “owner” means the person entitled to receive the rack-rent of premises, or who would be so entitled, if they were let to a tenant at a rack-rent.

Power is given the council to suspend or cancel a licence wholly or for a period if it is satisfied that (a) the licensee is of bad character or reputation or otherwise unfit to hold such a licence, or (b) that the building has become insecure or is being used in a disorderly manner so as to be obnoxious to neighbours or the public. or is being used for other purposes than stated in the licence. Opportunity to appeal to the council against suspension or cancellation is provided. No person is. to cause or knowingly permit overcrowding in a room wholly or partly used as a sleeping room. No number of boarders greater than specified in the licence will be permitted. Rooms not licensed as sleeping rooms must not be used for that purpose. The keeper of a boarding house must nt all times reside therein, except for not more than 28 days’ absence in any one year. With the consent of the city engineer the keeper may appoint a person acceptable to the city engineer to reside continuously in and control the boarding house on behalf of the keeper. No keeper is to allow anyone over the age of 10 to sleep in the same room as anyone of the opposite sex, this prohibition not to apply to married couples or a child under 10 sleeping in tfie same room as its parents. Keepers of boarding houses are required to cleanse thoroughly every part of the premises not later than March 31 of each year; to have the chimney swept; to keep the premises clean, wholesome, and free from vermin: floors, passage and stairways to be well swept daily and washed or otherwise cleansed once a week. Bedclothes are to be thoroughly cleaned as often as required, and all solid or liquid filth must be removed at least once daily from every room and the receptacles therefor cleansed. Where, in an inspector’s opinion, effective cleansing is needed, a keeper must, on receipt of notice from the town clerk, renew interior paintwork, wallpaper, interior wall, ceiling or floor coverings as required by such notice. With approval, distempering in place of wallpaper renewal, will be permitted. Yards and open spaces must be kept clean and proper ventilation given to the premises. Sleeping rooms must be provided with suflicient beds, bedsteads, bedclothes and utensils sufficient for the occupants. Clean bed linen and towels must be furnished once a week. Satisfactory bathing, washing, laundry and ironing accommodation for the number of boarders. or lodgers, must be provided to the city engineer’s satisfaction. Every keeper must keep and properly maintain all fire-escape means and have reasonably suflicient fire-extinguishing appliances constantly charged, on each floor. There must-be suflicient handrails for all staircases.