A landlord was hit with a big fine for allowing tenants to live in a “house of horrors” which was compared to a “slum” by a judge.
Directors Phillip Range and David Kellard and their company Roach Estates and Property Management Ltd were found guilty of non-compliance with an improvement notice under the 2004 housing act at Liverpool Crown Court.
Liverpool City Council’s Private Sector Housing team discovered serious issues at the property on Goodison Road in Walton after an inspection in July 2023.
The issues included damp and mould growing from damaged brickwork, broken gutters and waste water running onto the flat’s roof and allowing leaks into the kitchen. Inspectors also found structural collapse within the building and a kitchen ceiling that was bowing under the flat roof.
The ceiling has since collapsed. There was an open fuse box with live wiring and an intermittent electrical supply, a defective fire door and exposed wiring and a missing light fitting where water had dripped through the roof.
The landlord was served with an improvement notice and ordered to resolve the issues by February 2024. A subsequent reinspection in March 2024 found they had not taken adequate action to rectify the hazards identified and bring the property up to a safe standard. Some of the issues had deteriorated further.
In court, presiding District Judge Wendy Lloyd described what was found in the property as “slum” conditions and handed down fines totalling £13,867.31, reported the Liverpool Echo. Speaking after the court case, Liverpool Council’s cabinet member for Housing, Cllr Sam East, said: “This has truly been a house of horrors for the tenants, who have endured terrible conditions.
“I am pleased that the landlord has been hit hard in the pocket for their negligence in failing to ensure that the property was of a decent standard. This is exactly the type of issue that our Landlord Licensing scheme is designed to tackle and it sends out a strong message to the sector that we will not tolerate this type of behaviour.
“If people living in privately rented properties have an issue, they can get in touch with our team by filling in the referral form on our website.” In 2024, Liverpool City Council brought 33 prosecutions against landlords, with fines totalling £342,584 handed down. A further 11 Civil Penalty Notices were issued, with fines totalling £59,862.50.
Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Sam East, said: “This has truly been a house of horrors for the tenants, who have endured terrible conditions. I am pleased that the landlord has been hit hard in the pocket for their negligence in failing to ensure that the property was of a decent standard.
“This is exactly the type of issue that our Landlord Licensing scheme is designed to tackle and it sends out a strong message to the sector that we will not tolerate this type of behaviour. If people living in privately rented properties have an issue, they can get in touch with our team by filling in the referral form on our website.”
Get email updates with the day’s biggest stories
