Liverpool Licensing and the Surveillance Comissioner

It would now appear that Liverpool Landlord Licensing may now be on a collision course with the office of the surveillance commissioner. The Council in their conditions on ASB, and their insistence on Landlords obtaining details of guests in spare bedrooms not only breach the tenants right to privacy and quiet enjoyment as well as the DPA, but the authority is actually forcing Landlords into surveillance which is illegal and can only be carried out by appropriate bodies with correct judicial oversight. I will revert later and expand on this , but it is another reason for landlords to seek clarification before signing up to this rubbish.

I wish to alert landlords to the fact that Liverpool are now attempting to pass the buck by passing the legitimate queries from landlords about the legality of their scheme and their continued data breaches, to their “have your say procedure.” This internal Liverpool Council review mechanism is simply a white wash. One council officer investigates his mates and finds in their favour.

We do not want this, and landlords should state in no uncertain terms that they require the authority to address all our concerns about the ongoing data breaches and the illegality of licences issued to date.

Finally to those who perhaps feel that getting the licence they have done with the agro, I would draw their attention to the prosecution and conviction of a Durham Landlord for breach of a licence condition. See article on Property 118 >> https://www.property118.com/criminalisation-landlords-durham-council/90254/ It is for this reason that no Landlord should sign up to the Liverpool licence until such time as Liverpool give us a Scheme which is legally compliant in every respect.

The ICO are still looking at the 4 complaints made by me and I will provide readers with the outcome in due course. Finally almost 18 Months have gone by and thousands of us still await our licences, and those which have been issued are illegal.

What a Mess.