Liverpool City Council has successfully prosecuted a landlord who failed to remove a significant accumulation of waste at a private rented property, resulting in inconvenience for neighbours. Antonio Boscarino, who lives on Edgewell Drive in Childwall was sentenced in Wirral Magistrates Court on Thursday 4 July to fines and costs totalling £1,960 due to various complaints from neighbours about the property, situated on Mowbray Grove in Old Swan. The landlord was denying that the piles were waste, asserting that the things belonged to him and that he was using the garden space for personal storage.
The Council’s Private Sector Housing team detected the issue in August 2022, and found tonnes of waste forming a heap, including scrap metal objects, wooden fence panels, garage doors, and a children’s slide within the property’s confines. As a result of the accumulations, rodent activity was detected, causing great discomfort to the neighbouring residents who were unable to use their own garden space. The Private Sector Housing team attempted to work with the landlord to ensure the items were removed and the garden cleared despite several warnings; however, they did not take the necessary action.
As a consequence, in April 2023, the landlord was formally served with a notice under section 4 of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, which legally demands the removal of all waste accumulations outside the property within 28 days. A follow-up check in May 2023 and again in July 2023 found that the landlord failed to take any action, and the case was thus brought to a hearing. During the hearing, the landlord stated that he moved some of the materials but intended to move the remainder but could not because of an illness and issues with the present tenant.
Landlord’s action had caused irritation and frustration to the neighbouring residents, as this had been an ongoing issue for a considerable amount of time, said magistrates. They also emphasised that the penalty reflected the danger of the situation and that he is still required to remove the rubbish. Councillor Sam East, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “The landlord made life a misery for people in neighbouring properties through his ongoing refusal to clear up the rubbish, meaning they could not enjoy their own outdoor space.” Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, added, “This result reflects our dogged commitment to continuing to chase down landlords who do not treat their neighbourhoods with respect.
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