A landlord in Wales is to pay £5,088 in fines and surcharges after operating three properties in Swansea without a licence for ten months - and has also been effectively banned from the sector.

44-year-old Gareth Davies, who operates his properties via a limited company including one in the West Cross area of the city (pictured), did not renew his licence when it expired in June 2023 and took until May this year to complete the task.

Under the Rent Smart Wales scheme, anyone renting homes must apply for a licence and complete five hours of training all costing approximately £200 and also comply with the scheme’s code of practice. The licence lasts for five years but must be renewed immediately.

Struggle

Davies therefore gained a new licence this year but has been warned that next time he may struggle to get a licence due to his criminal conviction over the lapse in applying for a licence.

Cardiff Council, which is one of 22 local authorities who jointly operate Rent Smart Wales and that took Davies to court Section 7(5) of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, says this is because he must meet the ‘fit and proper’ required of landlords to get a licence.

"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,” says Councillor Lynda Thorne (pictured).

“The implications go far beyond fines for this landlord."

Main image: Steetview.