Housing Act 1985

402 No person to keep a common lodging house unless registered.E+W

No person shall keep a common lodging house, or receive a lodger in a common lodging house, unless he is registered as the keeper of the house under this Part.

Provided that, when the registered keeper of a common lodging house dies, his widow or any other member of his family may, for a period not exceeding four weeks from his death or such longer period as the local housing authority may sanction, keep the common lodging house without being registered as the keeper.