Lincoln landlord fined for dangerous conditions in HMOs
A landlord has been fined for offences relating to the mismanagement of houses in multiple occupation (HMO) in Lincoln. The property, owned by Mr Keshmiri, was originally a four bedroom terraced house which had been divided into two separate flats, each of which represented a separate HMO.
The property was inspected by enforcement officers from City of Lincoln in October 2016 when a number of serious defects and safety hazards were identified which represented offences under the regulations for the management of HMOs. The property was overcrowded, with mould on the walls, exposed wires from switches, no smoke alarms and insufficient fire escape routes.
At the hearing in September 2017 the magistrates heard that of the three charges in relation to the ground floor flat the most serious offence was the lack of fire separation protection, no installed smoke/ heat alarms and a lack of a means of escape from the ground floor bedrooms in the event of fire as the windows did not open.
Seven charges related to the upper floor flat including that a kitchen had been installed on the first floor landing thereby obstructing the means of escape from fire. The kitchen consisted of a full sized electric cooker and oven together with a washing machine, fitted cupboards and a sink which left a gap of only 19.5 inches for tenants to escape in the event of fire. There was also no fire alarm on the second floor landing.
Mr Keshmiri pleaded guilty to a total of 11 charges including 10 charges of failing to comply with regulations in respect of the management of HMOs and one charge of failing to comply with requirements of a housing notice requiring him to produce specified documents for the property. Mr Keshmiri had received a caution for a similar previous offence in respect of a different property of failing to provide information to the council.
Mr Keshmiri was ordered to pay a total of £8253 in fines, surcharge and costs. The magistrate chairman said: “The court has a job to do and that job is to protect the vulnerable from rogue landlords such as Mr Keshmiri. The court wishes to provide a deterrent against others: the financial penalties imposed reflect this and reflect the potential for harm through the offences to the tenants. The safety breaches were unacceptable and Mr Keshmiri had obstructed and frustrated the council’s investigations by failing to provide the documents and information requested.”
