John Russell Brown was sentenced in Wrexham Magistrates Court having admitted 12 breaches of the Housing Act, ITV reports.
The workers, living in Hyperion House in Deeside, shared six showers between them and septic tanks overflowing with the demands on the sewage system. There were also numerous fire hazards in the property.
Richard Lambert, chief executive officer of the National Landlords Association (NLA), said: “No one should have to live in sub-standard or unsafe housing. This isn’t just someone ignoring their responsibilities, it’s straightforward negligence.
He said the NLA fully applauds Flintshire Council’s persistence in pursuing its investigation and taking robust action to protect the tenants.
“Landlords who abuse the trust of those they house in this way should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and we would like to see more councils doing so,” he said.
He added that tough enforcement of the law was essential, but that there is need for the government to incentivise investment from professional landlords who will offer decent homes and ‘squeeze the rogues out’.
Rob Thomas, Brown’s solicitor, said an influx of workers arriving in the first three months of last year saw the number of tenants jump to 100 from its normal 20 to 30.
He said Brown was threatened with severed business ties by the company sending the migrants if he did not take them in, leaving him to ‘decide to juggle the situation best he could’.
The situation ended up ‘a complete mess’ after Brown accepted it had become disorganised and despite thinking he could work around the situation.
He was ordered to pay £21,400 for the breaches and £56,051 in court costs.
