8th
Aug 2023
The director and lettings agency firm were ordered to pay the huge fine because of ignoring orders to carry out vital repairs and putting their student tenants’ lives at risk in their Cardiff HMO properties.
The ‘rogue agents’ Mulberry Real Estate and its director David Bryant pleaded guilty to 11 offences at Cardiff Magistrates Court including failing to licence two of their HMO properties, failure to undertake ‘life threatening’ repairs for the fire doors, escape windows and kitchens.
The firm’s two Cardiff HMO properties’ licences ended in July and October 2021 and renewal conditions included the firm must carry out repairs to the fire doors, escape windows as well as the kitchens within three months of the licences being issued.
When the licences ended in 2021 the council repeatedly contacted the agents to renew them but the firm failed to apply for either licence.One year later in October 2022 the council’s inspectors found that the repairs had not been carried out and neither property had been licensed.
Councillor Lynda Thorne Cabinet member for housing, says the magistrates were appalled by the evidence presented by the council. “Students were put at risk. The required works hadn’t been completed for seven years.
“I hope this sentence sends a firm message to rogue landlords, that the court does take these matters very seriously, as is reflected by the level of the fines issued.”
Mulberry Real Estate was ordered to pay a fine of £31,995 as well as a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £251, the firm’s director Bryant was slapped with a £36,300 fine and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 plus costs of £251.
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