Landlord fined nearly £30,000 for illegally letting Hawarden property

A landlord and agent have been fined nearly £30,000 by the council for letting an unlicensed home in Flintshire.

Flintshire Council’s private sector housing team carried out an inspection at a property in Hawarden in January 2022.

The inspection confirmed the house was being operated as a licensable House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with 5 occupiers, no HMO Licence was in place.

At a court hearing, Jayne McGuinness and Richard Collins of RVC Estates Limited were found guilty of 16 housing offences.

They did not attend the court hearing and were fined £28,000 with an additional £1,640 in costs.

Flintshire’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Public Health and Public Protection, Councillor Chris Bithell, said:

“This successful prosecution sends a clear message that the Council will protect its residents from rogue landlords who operate unlicensed HMOs and do not comply with the Rent Smart Wales laws designed to protect tenants. ”

“It reflects Flintshire’s commitment to ensuring homes in the private rented sector are properly managed.”