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Landlords fined for evading Rent Smart Wales

 


Landlords from across South Wales are paying the price for avoiding complying with Rent Smart Wales.

 

Fines totalling more than £8,000 were handed out to five landlords with rental properties across the country from Rhondda Cynon Taff to Merthyr Tydfil to Newport, after they were successfully prosecuted at Cardiff Magistrates' Court for failing to comply with the scheme.

 

Under the Housing(Wales) Act 2014, alllandlords must register themselves and their properties, and self-managing landlords must undergo training and become licensed.

 

Rent Smart Wales investigations revealed that Paul Parry of Ty Clwydau Farm, Llantrisant was responsible for letting and managing six rental properties throughout Rhondda Cynon Taff but was not licensed. Magistrates found him guilty in his absence and fined him £3,000 with costs of £530 and a £30 victim surcharge.

 

James Burke of John Street, Mumbles was convicted of six offences under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 at Cardiff Magistrates Court in February 2018 and was fined £2,100 at the time, but having taken no action to comply with Rent Smart Wales since then, he has now been prosecuted for failing to register and failing to be licensed, fined £3,000, costs of £414 and a £30 victim surcharge.

 

Colin Lane ofNewport Road, Cardiff was found guilty of failing to be licensed to let and manage his two properties on Commercial Road, Newport. He was fined £750 and ordered to pay court costs of £361 and a £30 victim surcharge.

 

Adam Lambert of Cardiff Road, Aberaman was fined £1,050 carrying out letting and property management activities without a licence and failing to update information about a landlord registration, while Karen Burvill of Trevor Close, Pant, Merthyr Tydfil was fined £250 for failing to register as a landlord.

 

Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Cardiff Council, the single licensing authority for Rent Smart Wales, said: "Once again we see a number of landlords from across the country falling foul of the requirement to comply with Rent Smart Wales and having to pay the price for their actions.

 

"Rent Smart Wales will continue to root out the minority of landlords who believe the law does not apply to them and make them face the consequences. It's very simple - comply or face prosecution."