By Sheila Mckenzie
Liverpool City Council has launched a legal challenge against the British government with the High Court on Friday, after it was denied a license to continue to operate
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick rejected the council’s application to keep citywide licensing running for another five years until 2025, ending its private landlord and managing agents licensing scheme.
Licences were in force for 51,764 homes with 10,074 licence holders, the council said, with more than 34,000 compliance checks finding issues with 65% of properties. Council officers uncovered 3,375 category one and two hazards through 1,971 inspections ranging from fire safety issues to serious damp and mould and severe cold, the authority said.
Over 300 successful prosecutions were brought forward through the scheme, leading to fines and, in one case, a custodial sentence.
“The decision not to renew the landlord licensing scheme was a disgrace – it defied logic and has put the lives of some of our most vulnerable tenants at risk,” Mr Anderson said.
“Over the past five years, our officers have come across people whose landlords are happy to take their rent while allowing them to live in appalling conditions with unsafe electrics, gas supply and no fire doors to protect them in the event that a blaze breaks out.
“The landlord licensing scheme has enabled us to create a team to be able to hit the streets every day and carry out inspections of properties and bring rogue landlords to book.”Government approval is required for schemes covering more than 20% of a council area.