Another court case over controversial Rent Smart Wales regulations

A buy to let investor who ignored the controversial Rent Smart Wales scheme faces a bill of more than £3,500 for non-compliance.

Shelley Bailey of Wotton-Under-Edge in Gloucestershire has been prosecuted for breaking the law requiring all private landlords with properties in Wales to register and all self-managing landlords and letting agents to become trained and licensed.

Rent Smart Wales is the only scheme of its kind in the UK requiring agents, amongst others, to undergo training.

Acting on reports about her failure to comply, Rent Smart Wales officers attempted to contact Bailey to inform her of the requirement to register herself and her seven Cardiff properties and, as a self-managing landlord to complete training and become licensed.

Bailey failed to take any steps to comply and was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £150 in April but her failure to pay led to the prosecution by Cardiff council, which operates the scheme on behalf of Welsh Government.

She was found guilty of 21 offences in her absence at Cardiff Magistrates Court, fined £3,580 and ordered to pay £457 costs.

"Landlords and agents had a full year to comply before the November 2016 deadline when enforcement powers became active but despite this, some landlords believe they can continue to flout the law and side-step complying” says a council spokesperson.