Industry News


Welsh landlords and agents warned of


law change Landlords and agents throughout the UK with properties in Wales are being reminded they could be unwittingly breaking the law due to regulatory changes that have recently gone live. Enforcement powers are now active


for Rent Smart Wales. The legislation which came into force last year as a result of the Housing Act (Wales) 2014 now requires all landlords to register themselves and their properties. In addition, self-managing landlords and


agents must obtain a licence following the completion of a relevant training course and passing a ‘fit and proper’ person assessment. Despite its name, Rent Smart Wales


applies to all landlords with property in Wales, not just those who live in Wales themselves. With enforcement powers now active, landlords and agents not compliant could face a variety of sanctions including prosecution, fixed penalty notices rent stopping and rent repayment orders. Crucially landlords may not be able to


secure possession of their property using a Section 21 Notice, if they are operating outside the law themselves.


Online register A searchable register is now available on the Rent Smart Wales website allowing tenants and the wider public to check whether landlords and agents are breaking the law. Rent Smart Wales is a service hosted


by Cardiff Council but ensures compliance with the legislation in partnership with all 22 Welsh local authorities. The Welsh Ministers designated Cardiff Council as the Licensing Authority for the whole of Wales in 2015. The process for complying is


straightforward and can be completed online. Once completed, a registration and licence lasts for a period of five years. Bethan Jones, Operational Manager of


Rent Smart Wales said: “I would urge any landlords or agents with properties in Wales and who have not yet registered or become licensed, to contact us immediately to avoid legal action. We are still keen to assist those who willingly want to comply.” She added: “We’ve worked closely with


industry experts to develop the Rent Smart Wales scheme, which we firmly believe will help make the private rental sector in Wales a better place for tenants, landlords and agents.”


Further information about the scheme can be


found on the website – www.rentsmart.gov.wales – or by calling the helpline on 03000 133344.


Rent Smart Wales secures first conviction


A private landlord in Newport, Gwent has been fined £4,400 for operating a dangerous, unlicensed house in multiple occupation and failing to comply with the new Rent Smart Wales scheme. Robert Ivor Grovell of Tram Lane, Llanfrechfa,


Cwmbran is the first landlord in Wales to be prosecuted for failing to become licensed with Rent Smart Wales, a Welsh Government scheme, aimed at driving up standards in the private rented sector. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs and victim surcharge of £170. Rent Smart Wales requires private landlords


to register and managing landlords and agents to become licensed with the scheme. Mr Grovell was prosecuted under Section 7(5) of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 at Newport Magistrates court for his non-compliance, to which he pleaded guilty. An inspection of the property on Orchard


Street, Newport in December 2016 found serious problems with the design and layout of the property and an escape route blocked with furniture and other items, which could have been fatal to tenants in the event of a fire. In addition the property was occupied as a


Darker homes are contributing to ill-health


Damp and dark homes across the UK and Europe are having a direct impact on the levels of serious health conditions being reported, according to a new report by a leading roof window manufacturer. The VELUX Healthy Homes Barometer


highlights a clear correlation between poor housing stock and ill-health in all European countries. UK residents living in dark homes are shown to be 27 per cent more likely to report poor health including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, people living in unhealthy buildings in the UK with damp are 34 per cent more likely to be suffering from health conditions. The findings chime with the English Housing


Survey’s results. The latest report from the EHS revealed that about a million homes had problems with damp - the most common damp problems being condensation and mould. The biggest problem is in the private rented sector where nine per cent of properties had some type of damp problem, compared to five per cent of social rented properties and three per cent of owner occupied houses. Across Europe, one in six households are


living in an “unhealthy” building, (meaning damp or mouldy) increasing their chances of illness by 66 per cent. Developed in collaboration with Ecofys, a


Navigant company, Fraunhofer IBP, and Copenhagen Economics, the VELUX Healthy Homes Barometer examines the effects of housing on the health of people, along with


20 | HMM July 2017 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


house in multiple occupation but Mr Grovell failed to apply for the necessary licence from Newport City Council. Rent Smart Wales checks identified that Grovell was registered but not licensed, even though he was carrying out management activities at the property. Since the inspection, he has completed the required Rent Smart Wales training and submitted his application for a license. Bethan Jones, Operational Manager of Rent


Smart Wales at Cardiff Council, the single licensing authority for the whole of Wales, said “This case is a real milestone by being the first prosecution of a non-compliant landlord. Other non-compliant landlords should come forward now to avoid action against them.” Councillor Ray Truman, Cabinet Member for


Licensing and Regulation at Newport City Council praised officers for bringing the prosecution to court. “This was a serious breach of regulations


covering a house in multiple occupation where the residents were put at risk because of the landlord’s failure to comply with essential regulations aimed at keeping people safe in their home.”


the associated costs to society and ways to tackle the problem.


Wider costs On the back of the findings, VELUX is calling for


buildings to become more energy efficient and for the UK’s housing stock to be brought up to par.


Grant Sneddon, Product Manager at VELUX-


GBI said “We know instinctively that living in unhealthy surroundings is bad for us. This study reveals the extent we are suffering on account of our homes and also the staggering financial costs to society of not bringing our ageing housing up to par.” Europeans living in “unhealthy” buildings


are more than 1.5 times more likely to report poor health and 40 per cent more likely to suffer from asthma, as those who do not. Meanwhile, Europeans who suffer energy poverty - they are unable to keep their homes warm in winter - are twice as likely to report poor health and nearly three times more likely to report damp in their home. The costs of unhealthy buildings are not just


felt by individuals. The overall costs to European governments and societies of just two of the many diseases associated with damp living environments – asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – reach a staggering 82bn euros a year. Modernising our existing buildings through


energy efficient and healthy renovations would lead to improved health outcomes, lower societal costs and reduced CO2 emissions, as well as providing a much-needed boost to our economies. Using data from the European Commission’s


vast Eurostat Database, the analysis provides new evidence on the relationship between housing and health. The full report can be found at www.velux.com/health/healthy- homes-barometer-2017


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