▁support ▁provided ▁in ▁any ▁neighbourhood ▁that ▁devi ated ▁from ▁the ▁preferred ▁single ▁family ▁home ▁use . ▁ ▁Land ▁use ▁reform ers ▁also ▁passed ▁z oning ▁rules ▁that ▁indirect ly ▁reduced ▁room ing ▁houses : ▁b anning ▁mixed ▁resident ial ▁and ▁commercial ▁use ▁in ▁neighbourhood s , ▁an ▁approach ▁which ▁meant ▁that ▁any ▁remaining ▁room ing ▁house ▁residents ▁would ▁find ▁it ▁hard ▁to ▁eat ▁at ▁a ▁local ▁ca fe ▁or ▁walk ▁to ▁a ▁nearby ▁corner ▁gro c ery ▁to ▁buy ▁food . ▁Non - res ident ial ▁uses ▁such ▁as ▁religious ▁institutions ▁( ch urch es ) ▁and ▁professional ▁offices ▁( do ctors , ▁law y ers ) ▁were ▁still ▁permitted ▁under ▁these ▁new ▁z oning ▁rules , ▁but ▁working ▁class ▁people ▁( pl um bers , ▁mechan ics ) ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁operate ▁their ▁business es . ▁▁▁▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁commercial ▁room ing ▁houses ▁began ▁to ▁res emble ▁an ▁" ine xp ensive ▁hotel ", ▁with ▁multi - story ▁buildings , ▁often ▁ 2 5 ▁to ▁ 4 0 ▁years ▁old , ▁with ▁the ▁own ers ▁using ▁the ▁house ▁as ▁an ▁income ▁property . ▁The ▁operators , ▁typically ▁former ▁board ing ▁house ▁man agers , ▁were ▁getting ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁business ▁of ▁providing ▁me als . ▁This ▁enabled ▁the ▁owner ▁to ▁convert ▁the ▁shared ▁d ining ▁room ▁and ▁parl our ▁into ▁additional ▁r ental ▁rooms ▁and ▁stop ▁pay ing ▁for ▁the ▁prepar ation ▁of ▁me als . ▁There ▁were ▁often ▁six teen ▁to ▁eigh teen ▁rooms ,