A private landlord has been successfully prosecuted by Cardiff Council for failing to licence a property under the 2004 Housing Act and may now be forced to repay rent.
Sabiha Almas Siddique, of Rhydypenau Road in Cardiff, was sent a licence application pack by the council in 2007. Her three storey property in Mafeking Road has six tenants and by law, now needs to be licensed.
Failure to return the pack and relevant safety documents resulted in a council prosecution. Mrs Siddique pleaded guilty at Cardiff Magistrates Court on Monday August 10 and has been fined £1,500 and £150 costs.
The former tenants of the property are now entitled to make an application to the Residential Property Tribunal for a rent repayment order under Sections 73 & 74 of the Housing Act 2004.
In the event of the tribunal making the order in favour of the former tenants, Mrs Siddique may be required to repay up to 12 months rent.
Executive Member for Housing Cllr Judith Woodman said:
“All landlords have a duty to ensure the safety of their tenants and that includes obtaining the necessary legal documentation for their properties. This council takes the standards required very seriously and if our instructions are ignored we will take all legal avenues open to us. Negligence will not be tolerated and the welfare of tenants is our chief concern.”
Anyone else noticed that the vast majority of those people prosecuted that I read on here and in the NLA magazine have mult culteral names?
Comment by Matthew Masters — 4/9/2009 #