▁with ▁either ▁central ▁he ating ▁or ▁tiny ▁in - room ▁he ating ▁st ov es . ▁A ▁single ▁bath room ▁was ▁usually ▁provided , ▁with ▁hot ▁water ▁only ▁available ▁on ▁certain ▁days ▁and ▁limits ▁to ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁bath s ▁allowed ▁per ▁week . ▁Black s ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁in ▁most ▁room ing ▁houses , ▁due ▁to ▁seg reg ation , ▁except ▁in ▁black ▁room ing ▁houses . ▁Old ▁run - down ▁hot els ▁were ▁converted ▁into ▁room ing ▁houses . ▁Some ▁entrepr ene urs ▁even ▁converted ▁empty ▁w are h ouses ▁into ▁in exp ensive ▁room ing ▁houses . ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁elev ators ▁were ▁rare , ▁so ▁room ing ▁house ▁residents ▁had ▁to ▁clim b ▁st airs . ▁The ▁hast y ▁conversion ▁of ▁old ▁houses ▁and ▁w are h ouses ▁into ▁blocks ▁of ▁rooms ▁typically ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁walls ▁were ▁thin , ▁so ▁residents ▁could ▁hear ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁A ▁study ▁of ▁San ▁Francisco ▁room ing ▁houses ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁found ▁rough ▁living ▁conditions : ▁" There ▁were ▁dark ▁rooms ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁impossible ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁was h stand ▁without ▁first ▁turning ▁on ▁electric ▁light ; ▁d ing y ▁rooms ▁where ▁the ▁car p ets ▁had ▁a ▁must y ▁sm ell , ▁and ▁the ▁furn iture ▁was ▁sh ab by ▁and ▁f aded ; ▁sleep ing ▁rooms ▁with ▁lum py ▁double ▁b eds ▁and ▁dirty ▁la ce ▁cur tain s . ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁rooms ▁had ▁such ▁dim