Evening star., 1943-07-16
Boarding House
Rules Relaxed
In Amendments
Commissioners Vote
To Ease Bathroom
Requirements


Amendments which will generally
relax regulations governing lodg-
ing, rooming and boarding houses
in the District were adopted today
by the Commissioners.
Only one section was made more
strict. It was required that an air
space Of 400 cubic feet. per person
be provided and at least so square
feet of floor space be set aside for
each person in any room used for
sleeping purposes.
The room must have the Clear
height above the required floor
space" of not less than eight feet
In buildings erected after July 10
Of last year. and a height Of seven
feet in buildings constructed before
that date. ,.
Bath Limits Eased.
It was understood the amend
ments have been under considera-
ton since a public hearing about
six weeks ago. They were drawn up
by the Regulations Committee based
on amendments proposed by the
Commissioners, DR.. George H. Ruh-
land, District health officer, and the
Washington Housing Association.
The Commissioners decided that
the requirements regarding baths
shall not apply during the present
emergency and for six months after
wards in existing buildings which
do not have inside water or sewer
connections, provided suitable toilet
facilities "are reasonably accessible
to all occupants
In view Of current difIiculties with
laundering, rooming and boarding
house operators now are required to
provide only one clean pillow slip.
one clean sheet and two clean bath
towels each week for every regular
rooner. In the past, they have been
required to provide two clean bed
sheets a week, which operators
claimed at the hearing was "unrea-
sonable"
TaraGrapn A00ed.
A new paragraph has been added
to the regulations providing that no
sleeping facilities shall be permitted
IN any room in which there is
located a furnace, domestic water
heater. gas meter or space heater.
unless such space heater be effec-
lively fiue connected"
All food in sleeping rooms must
be kept In yerminproof containers.
While in the past operators were
required to keep the surrounding
premises clean and free OF litter
and rubbish, they now are made
responsible for keeping the lodg-
ings themselves clean.
Other amendments follow:
If the licensee does not live on
the premises he must designate a
resident manager.
Registers must show the date of
arrival and date of departure of
each guest
A key to the entrance door to
each room must be furnished the
roomer and duplicate key to the
proprietor who shall have access
to all rooms at all reasonable
hours"
Lighting Required.
Rooms must be provided with
artificial lighting to the extent of
one 40 to 75-watt electric bulb for
general living and one so to 100
watt bulb for reading.
In computing the number of COM
plete bathrooms required, credit is
given for additional water closets
without bath and also additional
wash basins. 1t was explained that
in the past, If house had one COM
plete bath and toilet and an isolated
toilet, only 10 persons would be per-
mitted, whereas as with the addi-
tional credit, Is will be allowed.
1t was said that the 400-cubic-
foot requirement would affect espe-
ciaily those rooms with ceilings less
than eight feet high. 1t was ex-
planned that If the ceiling we're only
seven feet high the previous require
merit of so square feet per person
would not meet the new requirement
Of 400 cubic feet.