A letting agency in Liverpool has been fined almost £14,000 for allowing tenants to live in what have been described by a district judge as “slum” conditions.
Roach Estates and Property Management, and directors Phillip Range and David Kellard, were found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court.
It comes after Liverpool City Council said it found serious issues at the property on Goodison Road in Walton in July 2023, including damp and mould growth, exposed wiring, and structural collapse.
The agency failed a subsequent reinspection by the council in March 2024 and was taken to court, where district judge Wendy Lloyd handed down fines totalling £13,867.31.
Lloyd compared the living conditions to that of a “slum”.
Upon visiting the property last year, inspectors said the landlord “had not taken adequate action to rectify the hazards”.
They also found gutters and waste water discharging directly onto the flat roof, and an open fuse box with live wiring and an intermittent electrical supply.
The landlord failed a subsequent reinspection by the council in March 2024, and was taken to court
Cllr Sam East, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for housing, commented: “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.”
Roach Estates …. What an appropriate name!
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That was my first thought too.
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I’m very confused – the wording of the article is very unclear and I’m not sure who is who.
Are the agents also the landlord?
Paragraph 4 says that the agency failed the reinspection in March 2024.
Paragraph 8 says it was the landlord.
Were there two separate cases…?
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Was the Agent the owner/Landlord because it states the estate agent was fined but refers to the landlord?
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