The Law of Hotel Life; or, the Wrongs and Rights of Host and Guest

by R. Vashon Rogers

“Humph!”

“The judge added that if the rocking of a cradle, the wheeling of a carriage, the whirling of a sewing machine, or the discord of ill-played music, disturb the inmates of an apartment-house, no relief by injunction can be obtained, unless the proof be clear that the noise is unreasonable, and made without due regard to the rights and comforts of other occupants.[470] And in England it was held that the noise of a piano from a neighbor’s house, or the noise of neighbor’s children in their nursery, are noises we must expect, and must, to a considerable extent, put up with.”[471]

“At all events, no judge can compel me to stay in the house and be annoyed in this way. I’ll give notice to quit at once.”

* * * * * *

Here endeth the account of our experiences in the matter of furnished apartments, boarding-houses, and hotels. After this Mrs. Lawyer and myself settled down quietly to housekeeping. Our experiences in that line have nothing to do with the subject of this book.

INDEX.

[A], [B], [C], [D], [E], [F], [G], [H], [I], [L], [M], [N], [P], [R], [S], [T], [V], [W].

Absence of guest—loss of baggage during, p. [40].
Accommodation—innkeeper need only supply reasonable, p. [7].
payment for bad, p. [16].
Action against innkeeper—for refusing to receive guest, p. [12].
for supplying bad food, p. [14].
Agreement to furnish—p. [177].
Agreement with innkeeper—as to board, pp. [61], [168].
as to room, p. [61].
Assault—liability of innkeeper for servant’s assault, p. [30].
protecting guests from, pp. [74-124].
Baggage—what is, pp. [74], [86-88].
articles of jewelry, p. [86].
innkeeper liable for loss in bus, p. [22].
and during temporary absence of guest, p. [40].
innkeepers are insurers of, p. [46].
need not be given to landlord, p. [47].
where guest retains exclusive possession, pp. [51], [52].
of one stopping elsewhere, p. [60].
Ball—innkeeper not liable for loss of a guest at, p. [60].
Bed—guest need not go to, p. [40].
damp bed, p. [165].
innkeeper in bed, p. [13].
Betting and bets—when improper, pp. [63-65].
when bets recovered, p. [64].
all void, pp. [65], [66].
loser recovering stakes, pp. [66], [67].
Billiards—pp. [70], [71].
Bird—liable to distress, p. [176].
Boarder—annoying fellow-boarders, pp. [163], [164].
must look after his own goods, pp. [159], [160].
Boarding-house—what is a, p. [166].
differs from hotel, p. [167].
Boarding-house keeper—liability of, pp. [154], [155].
what amount of care required in, p. [155].
liable for gross neglect, p. [160].
liability for theft by stranger, p. [161].
liability for faults of servants, p. [165].
can choose his lodgers, p. [167].
right of lien, p. [169].
Breakages in hotel—when guest is liable for, p. [101].
by boarder, p. [188].
Burglars—p. [107].
Card-playing—description of, p. [71].
in private, p. [68].
Carelessness of guest—in elevator, p. [24].
when intoxicated, p. [58].
loss through, pp. [108], [109].
leaving door unlocked, pp. [112-115].
Carriage—left outside inn-yard, p. [118].
stolen, p. [119].
Cat distrainable—p. [176].
Clothing—innkeeper need not supply, p. [19].
innkeeper’s lien on, pp. [137-141].
liable to seizure for rent, pp. [175-176].
Commercial traveler—goods of, in private room, pp. [52], [112].
Dinner hours—p. [54].
Dinner-set—p. [77].
Distraining for rent—furnished house, p. [174].
what things liable to distress, pp. [175], [176].
See Cat, Clothing.
Dog in hotel—p. [43].
Door—left unlocked at innkeeper’s request, p. [53].
not necessary to lock, pp. [112], [114].
left open, pp. [154], [155].
Door-bell—lodger entitled to use, p. [182].
Door-plate—removing, p. [196].
Ejecting guests—for bad manners, p. [26].
for non-payment, p. [40].
Ejecting tenants—pp. [196], [197].
Emigrants—house for, an inn, p. [20].
Entomological—pp. [16], [187].
Explosion of stove—p. [179].
Excessive charges—pp. [30], [124].
Expectorating—pp. [20-22].
Fire—liability of innkeeper for losses by, p. [103].
Food—innkeeper selling bad food, p. [14].
boarding-house keeper selling bad food, p. [165].
Friend—cannot sue for lost goods, p. [59].
See Visitor.
Furnished apartments—contract for, must be in writing, p. [174].
liability of landlord to repair, p. [180].
leaving for disrepair, p. [181].
lodger entitled to all appurtenances, p. [182].
must be free from vermin, pp. [183], [184].
must be properly furnished, p. [185].
must be fit for immediate habitation, p. [186].
notice to quit, pp. [191-194].
noise of fellow-lodgers in, pp. [198], [199].
Gaming—forbidden in inns, p. [68].
what is, p. [68].
lawful games, pp. [70], [71].
unlawful games, p. [69].
Goods and property—definition of, p. [85].
Guest—must be a traveler, p. [59].
one purchasing refreshment may be a guest, p. [59].
neighbor not a, p. [14].
when able to pay must always be admitted, p. [9].
when tender necessary, pp. [9], [10].
may be refused admission if improper, pp. [10], [11].
or suffering from contagious disease, p. [10].
or if inn is full, p. [11].
or if he is in filthy state, p. [11].
need not register his name, p. [13].
nor go to bed, p. [40].
nor take all his meals at inn, p. [60].
cannot carry on business at inn, p. [30].
liability when retaining exclusive possession of goods, p. [59].
for breakages, p. [101].
no lien on, pp. [137], [138].
Horse of guest—of one stopping elsewhere, pp. [60], [122], [123].
after departure of guest, pp. [62], [120].
stolen from inn stable, p. [129].
injured in inn stable, pp. [120], [121].
injured in field, p. [122].
lien on, for keep of another, p. [128].
for its own keep, p. [129].
for its owner’s keep, p. [127].
stolen horses, p. [132].
Hotel—differs not from inn, pp. [2], [3].
derivation of, p. [3].
American and English, pp. [54-57].
See Inn.
Hotel-keeper—See Innkeeper.
Improper persons—need not be admitted into hotel, p. [10].
Inevitable accident—liability of innkeeper for, p. [47].
Infant—lien on goods of, p. [149].
Inn—derivation of word, p. [3].
differs not from hotel, pp. [2], [3].
origin of, pp. [3], [4].
development of, p. [5].
definition of, pp. [18], [19].
description of country inn, pp. [7], [8].
of city inn, p. [23].
sign not essential to, p. [5].
Innkeeper—definition of, pp. [5], [19].
need not let guest choose a room, pp. [7], [39].
must receive all proper persons, pp. [9], [167].
but not those disorderly, p. [10].
or having contagious disease, p. [10].
or if house be full, p. [10].
nor thieves, nor policemen, p. [11].
sickness no excuse for refusing to receive guests, p. [11].
nor absence, p. [11].
nor being in bed, p. [13].
but sickness of servants is, p. [12].
or infancy, p. [12].
See Lien.
not bound to supply clothes, p. [19].
liable for baggage lost in bus, pp. [22], [62].
for assault of servants upon guest, p. [30].
for goods of guest lost or stolen, pp. [45], [46], [92].
unless guest was negligent, pp. [45], [108].
are insurers of guest’s property, pp. [46], [103].
in whatever part of hotel, pp. [47], [48], [92], [111].
cannot make guest take charge, p. [48].
when his liability ceases, pp. [61-63].
liability for guest’s money, p. [90].
for loss by fire, p. [103].
for acts of mice, p. [104].
for loss by burglars, p. [107].
for horses and carriages, pp. [118-124].
goods outside inn, p. [118].
lien on horses, pp. [128-133].
Intoxication—loss of goods by guest, p. [58].
innkeeper drunk in bed, p. [69].
Laundress—liability of innkeeper to, p. [29].
Lawyer’s dinners—p. [34].
Leakage of roof—p. [180].
Liability of innkeeper—when it ceases, pp. [61], [62].
limitation of, p. [80].
statutory limitation, p. [81].
construed strictly, pp. [82], [83].
not applicable to horses, p. [120].
Livery-stable keeper—lien of, pp. [134], [135].
Locking door—pp. [112], [114].
Lien—right of, cannot be sold, pp. [131], [148].
on goods of third parties, pp. [132], [146], [150].
special agreement as to payment, p. [134].
of livery-stable keeper, p. [134].
for improving horse, p. [135].
none on person of guest, pp. [137], [138].
nor on clothing, pp. [137-140].
why innkeepers have a, p. [144].
only on goods of guests, pp. [145], [146].
when it ceases, p. [147].
no limit to amount of, p. [148].
boarding-house keepers, p. [169].
See Horses.
Manners at table—pp. [26], [27].
Matches—taking, p. [102].
Misstatements as to hotels—p. [23].
Money—guest depositing in safe, p. [84].
liability of landlord for, pp. [90], [91], [93].
when entrusted to third party, p. [96].
Mosquitoes—p. [74].
Necessaries of a wife—pp. [32], [33].
Neighbor—cannot be a guest, pp. [14], [60].
unless traveling, pp. [14], [59].
Noise of boarders—pp. [120], [121], [198], [199].
Notice to quit—pp. [191], [194].
Parties dining together—p. [28].
Prize candy—p. [71].
Pullman car—not a common inn, pp. [76], [77].
Rats and mice—depredations of, pp. [104], [105].
Refreshment bar—not an inn, p. [35].
Register—guest need not enter name in, p. [13].
Repairs—liability of landlord for, pp. [180], [181].
after a fire, p. [195].
Restaurant—not an inn, p. [35].
Robbery—liability of host for loss of guest’s goods, pp. [45], [92], [94].
by guest, pp. [53], [110].
Room—landlord to choose, pp. [7], [39].
trespassing on guest’s, p. [73].
Safe—depositing in, p. [79].
See Valuables.
Shaving—when barber liable for accidents, p. [99].
Singing—of fellow-boarders, pp. [120], [121].
Sleeping-car owners—neither innkeepers nor common carriers, pp. [76], [77].
Smells—effect on tenants’ rights of noxious, pp. [186], [187].
Stables—not a necessary for an inn, p. [19].
landlord’s liability for bad, pp. [120], [121].
Stove-pipe—passing through room, p. [178].
Sunday travelers—must be admitted by innkeeper, p. [13].
Tavern an inn—p. [36].
Tender of payment—by guest, pp. [9], [10].
Traveler—who is a, p. [59].
Valuables—when need be deposited in safe, p. [48].
notice of rule as to deposit of, pp. [49], [50], [79].
personal jewelry, p. [79].
when to be deposited, pp. [84], [96].
Watch—as to depositing in safe, pp. [79], [80], [83], [85].
Watering-place—hotel at, p. [168].
Water-pipes—leakage of, p. [178].

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Taylor v. Monnot, 4 Duer, 116; Jones v. Osborn, 2 Chit. 486.