Ex-Premiership footballer fined £25,000 for series of rental offences

Former QPR and Nottingham Forest striker Dexter Blackstock has been fined over £25,000 and branded a rogue landlord after admitting 12 licencing offences.

He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court where he faced charges relating to 12 unlicensed properties he owned and were required to be licensed under either Part 2 or 3 of the Housing Act.

Blackstock, 33, was convicted of nine offences of failing to license properties under the city council’s selective licensing scheme. 

He also failed to license two properties under an additional licensing scheme with one other offence under mandatory licensing.

Blackstock was fined £24,000, £1,100 costs and a victim surcharge of £170.

Paul James, 54 and from Nottingham, who managed the properties also faces 10 charges – seven for selective licensing breaches, two for additional licensing and one for mandatory licensing. His case has been adjourned until November.

The court heard that the total rental income for the 12 properties was more than £10,500 a month. It would have cost £12,180 to licence them for a period of five years.

Also, as part of investigations into the case, council enforcement officers visited a number of their properties, where they found disrepair and in some cases found smoke alarms that weren’t working. Emergency remedial works were carried out and enforcement action was taken under Part One the Housing Act 2004. 

A council spokeswoman says: “Properties have to be licensed for a good reason – to provide higher standards, regular maintenance and, most importantly, to make sure that tenants across the city are safe and living in acceptable conditions.

“Mr Blackstock has continually placed his profits over ensuring that these homes were appropriately licensed. The purpose of the licensing regime is to guarantee the house is suitable for the number of people occupying it, and that the licence holder is fit-and-proper person to hold a licence as well as additional controls over anti-social behaviour.”