Letting agency Roach Estates and Property Management Ltd, along with its directors Phillip Range and David Kellard, have been found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court of failing to comply with an Improvement Notice and have been fined a total of £13,867.

Trusted agency

The agency, which manages the property on Goodison Road, Walton, describes itself on its website as “one of Liverpool’s most established and trusted family-owned estate agencies.” And, despite having an entire page dedicated to maintenance, court records reveal that it had failed to carry out even the most basic repairs.

An inspection of the property by Liverpool City Council’s Private Sector Housing Service uncovered serious issues, including leaks, damp and mould, structural problems, dangerous electrics, and a collapsed kitchen ceiling.

This has truly been a house of horrors for the tenants, who have endured terrible conditions.”

The agency and its directors were subsequently served with an Improvement Notice and had six months to carry out the necessary repairs. However, a follow-up inspection in March 2024 found that they had failed to bring the property up to a safe standard, and its condition had deteriorated further.

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.”

Roach is not the only Liverpool agency that has come under scrutiny, as was reported in The Neg, Trophy Homes was recently banned by the council for unlicensed HMOs.