£30,000 fine for rogue landlords who put tenants’ lives at risk

The irresponsible landlords of an overcrowded property have been ordered to pay more than £30,000 following a dawn raid that uncovered more than a dozen breaches of health and safety regulations.

Balt Properties Ltd, its Managing Director Vytautas Sidlauskas and Manager Valdas Kakta, were each found guilty of 14 offences relating to mismanagement at Lincoln Magistrates Court this week (Monday, August 8) and fined a total of £29,090.

Magistrates described the case as ‘very serious’ and stated that Boston-based Balt Properties Ltd had ‘failed in its duty to adequately protect and provide for its tenants.’

City of Lincoln Council Housing Enforcement Officers carried out the raid at 99 Scorer Street on March 9 this year as part of a crackdown on poor quality rental housing in the city, funded by a £96,000 grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government.

After initially being denied entry, officers found a raft of serious health and safety breaches, including broken and missing smoke alarms, loose banisters and overcrowding.

Eight tenants shared one kitchen and bathroom, while fire escapes were blocked by furniture and doors padlocked from the outside.

The penalties were:

• Balt Properties Ltd - £12,040 fine (£860 for each offence); £500 costs; £86 victims’ surcharge = £12,626

• Vytautas Sidlauskas - £10,050 fine (£750 for each offence); £500 costs; £75 victims’ surcharge = £11,075

• Valdas Kakta - £7,000 fine (£500 for each offence); £500 costs; £50 victims’ surcharge = £7,550

The total penalty was £31,251, comprising fines totalling £29,090, victim surcharges of £211 and a contribution to the city council’s legal costs awarded in full, totalling £1,500.

David King, Rogue Landlords Team Leader, said: “This property has been mismanaged to such a degree it represents a real and present danger to the tenants from numerous hazards: there is inadequate fire safety, an inadequate fire warning system, an inadequate means of escape, inadequate electrical safety, inadequate hygiene and bathing facilities, overcrowding, inadequate food preparation and storage facilities, and tripping and lighting hazards in common areas of the premises.

“Taken together, these add up to a dangerous building containing numerous accidents waiting to happen.

“By not taking action to remedy these defects, the defendants took advantage of the occupiers, taking considerable sums in rent while leaving them in sub-standard and dangerous accommodation. This is a significant fine and I am pleased the courts are now recognising the serious nature of these types of offences.”

Simon Colburn, Assistant Director for Health and Environmental Services at the city council, added: “The city council takes these types of offences very seriously and will continue to take action where we see unsafe conditions in Lincoln’s homes. Landlords have a responsibility to ensure their tenants are safe and can live in a home of a decent standard.”

Councillor Pete West, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “This is an excellent result that shows how seriously the court treats cases of sub-standard housing. In this case the landlords had failed to meet a series of basic health and safety regulations, putting the lives of tenants and those living close by at risk.

“The Rogue Landlords Team has done an extremely worthwhile job in checking the quality of homes and ensuring landlords take the necessary action to bring their properties up to an acceptable standard.”

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