Liverpool Selective Licensing Waste Management Conditions

Why Waste Management Is a Licence Condition

Liverpool City Council designates selective licensing areas partly on the basis of poor property conditions, and refuse accumulation is one of the visible markers of neighbourhood decline that the scheme targets. Licence conditions therefore include specific waste management obligations — not optional good practice, but enforceable requirements that the council checks during inspections.

For HMO properties, the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 add a further statutory duty: the person managing the HMO must ensure adequate refuse disposal facilities are provided and maintained.

What the Conditions Require

The waste management conditions on a Liverpool selective or HMO licence typically include:

Adequate bins. The licence holder must provide the correct number and type of Liverpool City Council standard bins: purple refuse bins, blue recycling bins, and green garden waste bins (if the property has a garden). For HMOs with multiple occupants, this may mean more bins than a single-family home would need.

Written instructions to tenants. Landlords must give tenants clear written guidance on collection schedules, which items go in which bin, and where bins should be stored between collections. Check the current schedule for the property's address; missed collections can lead to overflowing bins and complaints.

Refuse storage. Bins and waste bags must be stored off the pavement and out of front gardens between collection days. Accumulated refuse in front yards, rear alleyways or communal areas is one of the most common triggers for enforcement action — both from the licensing team and from environmental health.

Grounds maintenance. Related conditions require that front and rear gardens or yards are kept free from accumulated rubbish, overgrown vegetation and fly-tipping. The licence holder is responsible even if tenants are the ones creating the problem.

How the Council Enforces It

Liverpool's housing enforcement officers check waste management compliance during property inspections — both the pre-grant inspection and random compliance audits during the licence term. They also respond to complaints from neighbours, other tenants and ward councillors.

If waste management conditions are being breached, the council can:

• Issue a formal warning requiring the licence holder to remedy the situation within a set timeframe
• Serve an Improvement Notice under the Housing Act 2004
• Add stricter conditions to the licence through a formal Notice of Variation
• Issue a civil penalty of up to £40,000 for licence condition breaches

Persistent waste management failures can also be taken into account when the council assesses whether the licence holder remains a fit and proper person to hold the licence. In extreme cases, it can contribute to licence revocation.

Practical Steps for Landlords

At tenancy start: provide a written waste management sheet as part of the move-in pack. Include the collection day, the bin colour codes, what is and is not recyclable in Liverpool, and the location where bins should be stored. Keep a copy for your records.

At each inspection: check bin provision, confirm bins are labelled to the property (some councils issue bin stickers), and photograph the front and rear of the property showing the grounds and storage areas are clear.

Between inspections: if you become aware of waste accumulation (through your six-monthly inspections, neighbour reports, or your own drive-bys), address it promptly. Document what you found and what you did — that paper trail matters if the council queries compliance.

For HMOs: larger properties generate more waste. Five occupants from separate households will produce significantly more than a single family. Budget for additional bins from the council and make sure the property has enough storage space. If rear alley access is the only collection point, confirm the route is clear and tenants know to present bins there.

Our Liverpool landlord licensing guide covers the full set of licence conditions — waste management, six-monthly inspections, anti-social behaviour management, certificate renewals and more — with a compliance checklist you can use at each inspection.

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