The Beerhouse Act 1840 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the Licensing Acts 1828 to 1886. The Act was created in 1830, the 1840 Act being the third version to be passed. The change in the law made it necessary for persons to have continued residence within the building that they were intending to use after an application for the issuing of a licence for the selling of alcohol, and that they be in possession of the deeds of ownership of the building.
The Act became necessary to control the development of civil disorder ( National Evil) caused by those involved in activities resulting from the Vice of Intoxication, specifically of the people within the class of Labouring workers in ale houses so that in 1834 a committee was selected, to investigate, in order that measures of legislature might be created to limit this.