It shall not be lawful to let separately, except as a warehouse or storehouse, or to suffer to be occupied as a dwelling-place, any cellar or any vault or underground room, whether conjoined or not with another apartment not having one of its external sides entirely above the level of the street or ground adjoining the same, and not having a window or other opening in such side, which cellar, vault, or room in every part shall be less in height from the floor to the ceiling than eight feet in the case of houses built prior to the commencement of this Act, or less in height than nine feet in the case of houses built subsequently to the commencement of this Act, or which shall be less than one-third of its height above the level of the street or ground adjoining the same, or otherwise shall not have three feet at least of its height from the floor to the ceiling above the said level, with an open area of two feet six inches wide from the level of the floor of such cellar, vault, or room up to the level of the said street or ground, or which shall not have appurtenant thereto the use of a watercloset or earth-closet or privy and ashpit, or which shall not also have a glazed window made to open to the full extent of the half thereof, the area of which is not less than nine superficial feet clear of the frame, and a fireplace with a chimney or flue, or which cellar, vault, or underground room, being an inner or back vault or cellar let or occupied along with a front vault or room as part of the same letting or occupation, has not a ventilating flue (unless such inner or back vault or cellar shall be part of a house built before the commencement of this Act) or which shall not be well and effectually drained by means of a drain, constructed of a gas tight pipe or otherwise effectually sealed, the uppermost part of which is one foot at least below the level of the floor of such vault, cellar, or room, after the local authority have given notice to the owners thereof that the letting or occupation of such cellars, vaults, or underground rooms, as dwelling-places is prohibited from that time forth, and it shall be the duty of the local authority to issue such notices from time to time, as soon as is convenient, until such notice has been given with respect to every cellar, vault, or underground room, occupied as a dwelling-house within the district; and it shall not be lawful, after such notice, to let or continue to let, or to occupy or suffer to be occupied, separately as a dwelling-house any such vault, cellar, or underground room.
Every person who lets separately, or who knowingly suffers to be occupied for hire, or permits to be occupied as a dwelling, any vault, cellar, or underground room, contrary to the provisions of this Act, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty shillings for every day during which such vault, cellar, or room, is so occupied after conviction of the first offence.
Where two convictions against the provisions of this Act relating to the overcrowding of any house, or the occupation of any cellar, vault, or underground room, as a separate dwelling-place, shall have taken place within the period of three months, whether the person so convicted was or was not the same, it shall b3 lawful for the sheriff to direct the closing of such premises for such time as he may deem necessary, and, in the case of cellars occupied as aforesaid, to empower the local authority to permanently close the same in such manner as they may deem fit.