Any person letting for hire, or showing for the purpose of letting for hire, any house or part thereof, who, on being questioned by any person negotiating for the hire as to the fact of there being, or within six weeks previously having been, therein any person suffering from any infectious disease, knowingly makes a false answer to such question, shall be liable, at the discretion of the sheriff, magistrate, or justice, to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds, or, where the proceedings are before a sheriff, to imprisonment with or without hard labour, for a period not exceeding one month.