Banned! Rogue landlord cannot let property for three years

A Wirral landlord has become the first in the region to be served with a Banning Order, which will prohibit him from letting or managing any property to tenants for the next three years.

The order against Frank Morrow from New Brighton was granted by the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) at the Civil Court in Liverpool.

As a result, not only is he banned from letting property, he is also prohibited from being involved in letting agency or property management work in England for a period of three years.

Wirral council pursued the action against Morrow due to his failure to comply with notices issued to him to remedy hazards that were risking the safety of his tenants and failing to licence properties that were required to be licenced.

This is the first Banning Order obtained by any council in the Liverpool region and currently the only Banning Order secured under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 in the North west of England.

Wirral council has previously prosecuted Morrow on two separate occasions for failing to comply with improvement notices served on him for poor housing conditions and failing to obtain Selective Licences for both his rental properties situated in Seacombe.

After he was first prosecuted, Morrow was added to the national Rogue Landlord Database to ensure that other local authorities are aware of his conviction to consider whether he should be involved in the letting of properties in other areas of the country.

If the banning order is breached, penalties can include imprisonment for up to 51 weeks and/or an unlimited fine, or a Civil Financial Penalty of up to £30,000.

A Wirral Council spokesperson says: “The majority of landlords in Wirral provide decent and safe homes for their tenants – however, a minority continue to exploit their tenants and let sub-standard housing. This case demonstrates that the council will take firm action against rogue landlords, and we will use all the powers available to stop criminal landlords from operating in Wirral.”

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