2/8/24

A Welsh landlord is paying the price for flouting Rent Smart Wales requirements, after being found guilty of managing rented properties without a licence.

Gareth Davies, 44, of Caswell, Swansea was convicted under Section 7(5) of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 of failing to be licensed to carry out property management activities in relation to three properties in Swansea,at Cardiff Magistrates Court yesterday.

In addition to being fined £2,383, the consequences of his conviction goes beyond financial reprimand, with an ongoing impact on his ability to manage properties in the private rented sector in Wales.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Cardiff Council, the single licensing authority for Rent Smart Wales, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "Rent Smart Wales was established to improve standards of letting and management in the private rented sector in Wales, and to achieve that aim, a ‘fit and proper' test is applied to everyone who applies for a license to let and manage properties to ensure they are of sufficient integrity and good character in order to do so.

"One consideration in this fit and proper test is whether an individual has any previous criminal convictions - and failure to register as a landlord, or hold a licence is a criminal offence. The implications go far beyond fines for this landlord."

Mr Davies pleaded not guilty to failing to be licensed to carry out property management activities in relation to three properties in Swansea. He allowed his landlord licence to expire in June last year and did not complete the full licence requirements until May this year.

He was found guilty at Cardiff Magistrates Court yesterday (August 1) and fined £2,383, with costs of £1,352 and a £913 Victim Surcharge.