Liverpool Magistrates fines residential landlord more than £12,000 for managing a portfolio of rental properties across the city without appropriate licences. Tony McDonough reports
A Liverpool residential landlord has been fined more than £12,000 after falling foul of the city’s licensing regime.
There have now been 14 prosecutions brought by Liverpool City Council as part of its current landlord licensing scheme since 2022. In addition 21 Civil Penalty Notices have been served.
In the latest case, Ballpark Property pleaded guilty to eight offences under the Housing Act 2004 at a hearing held on Thursday, 12 June 2025, at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court. It was managing eight properties across Liverpool without appropriate licenses.
Under Liverpool’s Landlord Licensing scheme – known as Selective Licensing – all privately rented properties within the designated wards must be licensed by law. Property licensing allows the council to ensure that rented homes meet minimum safety standards.
Ballpark was investigated as the business had previously committed similar offences under Liverpool’s previous landlord licensing scheme, which ran from 2015 to 2020.
Despite attempts to engage with the company during the investigation, the council claimed it did not receive an adequate response and progressed with the prosecution.
In court, the company’s solicitors stated that the eight properties are now licensed under the current scheme. They accepted that they had been managed without appropriate licences for a period and had a history of this offence.
The judge noted that the previous fine of £200 per property had failed to deter the company from committing this offence again and ordered them to pay £1,000 per property. Together with costs and victim surcharge, the penalty totalled £12,606.
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Councillor Hetty Wood, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “We are committed to working alongside landlords to ensure rental properties in Liverpool are safe and well-managed.
“Our Landlord Licensing scheme plays a crucial role in ensuring that every rented home meets the required standards. Those that are in designated areas have a legal duty to sign up for the scheme.
“When landlords or letting agents fail to meet their legal obligations, as in this case, they should expect to face enforcement action.”