December 7, 2018 11.51 am This story is over 63 months old

Rogue landlord let off 80% of record fine

His properties were not cleaned for years and failed basic standards
Living spaces were rendered not cleanable due to years of neglect.

A rogue Lincoln landlord has won an appeal to reduce a record fine for failing to comply with fire, health and safety standards.

Bijan Keshmiri, 59, from Lincoln, was handed a fine of more than £400,000 by the magistrates in June after admitting 28 charges.

Tenants were living in dangerous and squalid flats deemed “not cleanable due to years of neglect”, City of Lincoln Council said.

The fine was believed to be one of the biggest ever handed out to an individual landlord.

But at an appeal hearing at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, December 7 the fine was reduced to £84,000.

The court hear how a number of the defendant’s properties were now vacant and required substantial refurbishment.

The squalid properties were rented to East Timorese people.

Keshmiri’s properties are expected to make a turnover loss of £84,000 in the next financial year.

He is now working with the City of Lincoln Council and their building regulation team after understanding where he had gone wrong previously.

The hearing was told Keshmiri had given around £120,000 to his children to help them buy properties, but some of that money would now come back for refurbishment works.

Judge Simon Hirst gave Keshmiri 12 months to pay the £84,000 fine.

Keshmiri, of Wragby Road, had admitted failing to comply with fire, health and safety standards at two properties in Lincoln which had been converted into flats.

Poor living conditions

One of Keshmiri’s properties had black mould throughout and no fire exits.

Another had an exposed hot water supply tank without a lid which put the tenants at risk of legionella bacteria infection, the council said.

Magistrates described the properties as being “a fire hazard” when he was sentenced.

They were told he owned flats on Rosemary Lane which had not been cleaned for years and had broken smoke detectors.

At his second property on Spa Buildings fire doors were sealed shut and there was black mould everywhere.