What sanctions are there for Welsh landlords who have operated continuously since the inception of Rent Smart Wales but have failed to register with the service?
The immediate sanction for landlords who are not compliant with Rent Smart Wales requirements is the inability to serve a valid notice for possession.
Landlords could also face a fixed penalty notice of £150 for not registering, and £250 for carrying out letting or management duties without a licence. If prosecuted, landlords could face a fine of up to level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1,000) for not registering, and an unlimited fine for carrying out letting or management duties without a licence.
It is important to remember that Rent Smart Wales is not part of Welsh Government, but is operated by Cardiff Council on behalf of all local authorities. My officials have, though, obtained the following information from Rent Smart Wales.
The number of landlords operating in each local authority area is as follows:
|
Blaenau Gwent |
3,668 |
|
Bridgend |
7,100 |
|
Caerphilly |
7,228 |
|
Cardiff |
26,486 |
|
Carmarthen |
8,920 |
|
Ceredigion |
5,017 |
|
Conwy |
7,796 |
|
Denbighshire |
6,462 |
|
Flintshire |
6,299 |
|
Gwynedd |
6,714 |
|
Isle Of Anglesey |
3,517 |
|
Merthyr Tydfil |
2,995 |
|
Monmouthshire |
4,152 |
|
Neath Port Talbot |
6,776 |
|
Newport |
8,857 |
|
Pembrokeshire |
6,213 |
|
Powys |
7,218 |
|
Rhondda Cynon Taf |
12,091 |
|
Swansea |
14,253 |
|
Torfaen |
3,526 |
|
Vale Of Glamorgan |
6,628 |
|
Wrexham |
6,808 |
|
Not in Wales |
443 |
|
Total |
101,013 |
The total income and expenditure for Rent Smart Wales since its inception is as follows:
|
|
Expenditure (£) |
Income (£) |
|
2015.16 |
685,368 |
1,186,844 |
|
2016.17 |
2,010,379 |
8,800,307 |
|
2017.18 |
3,089,253 |
2,575,346 |
|
2018.19 |
2,655,219 |
1,575,513 |
This represents the total income and expenditure of Rent Smart Wales during the first four years of a five-year licensing cycle. Rent Smart Wales is unable to provide an exact breakdown of expenditure on enforcement activity, as it employs nine Enforcement Officers who also perform a variety of functions not related to enforcement.
Rent Smart Wales currently employs 70 full time equivalent posts.