With thousands of students beginning a new term in the capital city, Cardiff Council’s private sector housing team is calling on landlords of multi-occupancy homes to ensure they have all the relevant licenses in place before letting their properties.
The 2006 Housing Act states that landlords with properties which are three storeys high or have five or more tenants have to be licensed before they can be let.
In Cathays, where there is a large proportion of student accommodation, properties are subjected to additional licensing. This additional licensing applies to all multi-occupancy homes and came into effect on July 1 this year.
The private sector housing team is there to ensure accommodation that is rented in the city is of a good standard and is managed properly.
In the last year, the team has successfully prosecuted a number of landlords who have not had the relevant licenses in place for their property. These prosecutions have also led to tenants reclaiming rental monies from landlords using the service of the Residential Property Tribunal.
Executive Member for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, Cllr Judith Woodman, said:” Landlords have a duty of care to their tenants and it’s essential that they have all the relevant licenses in place before they rent out their properties.
“The private sector housing team is working hard to ensure rental homes in the city are of the standard that people can enjoy living in. Landlords who do not comply with mandatory and/or additional licensing are not only operating illegally but are facing huge fines and also the possibility of having to pay back all rental monies they have received from tenants.
“In Cardiff we are clamping down on landlords who are renting out unlicensed properties.
“I would encourage both landlords and tenants to contact the private sector housing team if they have any concerns.”
Cardiff’s private Sector Housing team can be contacted on –
Cardiff Council
City Hall
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3ND
029 2087 1762
[email protected]
