A landlord has been hit with a bill of more than £16,000 for multiple disrepair and other issues at an HMO.

Patrick Duggan, of Liverpool, was found guilty of breaching HMO Management Regulations and HMO licensing conditions at Sefton Magistrates’ Court.

Liverpool council inspected the property in 2023, identifying numerous breaches of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006. These include issues with fire safety, structural defects with the boundary wall and multiple disrepair issues including damp and mould.

Duggan also failed to provide relevant documentation within a specified timeframe to the Council, in breach of HMO licensing conditions.

Following a trial in January, where a magistrates’ bench reviewed the facts of the case and heard evidence, District Judge James Clark sentenced Duggan after he was found guilty by the bench of 12 charges.

District Judge Clark commented that Duggan did have mechanisms in place with respect to the management of the building, but that they were ultimately insufficient. The property is no longer rented out.

The council says this is merely the latest case it has brought to court. 

In 2024, a total of 33 prosecutions and fines worth £342,584 were secured, and a further 11 Civil Penalty Notices were issued, with fines totalling £59,862.

A council spokesperson says: “We want to work with landlords to help them meet the conditions of their license, but where they won’t we will take enforcement action, including taking cases to court if necessary. This property really was not fit for human habitation so I am pleased that it is no longer being offered for rent.”