An unlicensed Cardiff landlord has been fined more than £11,000 after admitting a number of offences relating to an eight-bedroom shared house in Grangetown.

At Cardiff Magistrates' Court, landlord Hazrat Rehman Hakim pleaded guilty to 22 offences in connection with the house in Clive Street.

That included 17 offences under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Wales) Regulations 2006, including failure to provide an appropriate fire alarm system, failure to provide structural fire protection, insufficient kitchen facilities, lack of gas & electrical testing, unsafe electrical installation, unsafe windows, unacceptable bedrooms and having out of date fire extinguishers.

The other offences were operating a licensable house in multiple occupations without a licence, failure to register as a landlord and failure to apply for a licence with Rent Smart Wales and failure to comply with notices requiring the submission of documents and information.

Following the inspection, one room was prohibited from use as a bedroom due to a lack of windows, another due to it being too small and a further Prohibition Order was made as the garage was being used as a flat. An Improvement Notice was also served requiring other works to be completed.

Mr Hakim, from Corporation Road, Grangetown, who was unrepresented when he appeared at court, said he had bought the house with the intention of renting it out to a large family.

However, he could not find a family and rented it to several different people.

He left Pakistan where his mother was ill to come back to sort out the house and when he did his mother died.

The court heard that he has now done most of the work and there is a fire alarm in every room.

Mr Hakim has now registered with Rent Smart Wales and applied for a licence under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

He has also applied for a HMO licence under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004.

He was fined a total of £11,250, ordered to pay costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £120.

Cllr Michael Michael, Cardiff Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Shared Regulatory Service between Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils, said: "Regulations are in place for a reason and the substantial fine imposed by the Magistrates' Court sends a very loud and clear message that these offences are taken seriously and will not be tolerated."