We're helping landlords comply with the new Cathays HMO licensing scheme
You may have missed the news that, after a two-year hiatus, Cardiff Council reintroduced Cathays' Additional HMO Licensing Scheme on 1st February 2023.
So, if your rental property is classed as a HMO, fits the criteria below and doesn't currently have an in-date HMO licence, you're now legally required to submit a valid application Cardiff Council.
For nearly two months now, we've been assisting our clients by submitting applications on their behalf, accompanying Cardiff Council on their inspection(s) and arranging any work that they may require in order to grant a licence. More information on this service is below.
The consequences of not complying include fines of up to £20,000. We have a guide on our website on how to apply, including the fees involved.
If you'd like some personalised guidance and clarity on whether or not your Cathays property requires additional licensing, simply drop me an email and we'll schedule a call to go through it.
How can CPS Homes help?
Even if you're confident your property is compliant, there are right and wrong ways of filling the council's forms. Some terms, requirements and sections are unclear, confusing and even misleading. We find many landlords going it alone are spending a lot more time and carrying out a lot more work than is truly necessary throughout the process, both when submitting the application form and interpreting the licence itself too, which is a lengthy document that isn't the easiest to digest.
For 20+ years we've over 500 Cardiff HMOs, so we know the ins and outs of how the Council operates. Our managed clients benefit from our licence application service* which includes:
- Regular property inspections, meaning we'll make sure your property is compliant before the Council potentially find it's not.
- Completing and submitting your application form and relevant safety certificates.
- A member of our team will personally attend the property inspection with Cardiff Council's representative. This allows us to 'bat back' any conditions the Council propose to include on the licence that seem harsh or unfair... which is always easier when the "issue" is right there in front of us!
- We'll thoroughly review Cardiff Council's draft licence and subsequently handle any additional maintenance requests following the inspection. The Council will sometimes list work that can be argued away with reasonable logic and prior experience. This sort of thing might slip through the net without the help of an established group of HMO specialists on your side.
*Even if we don't manage your property, we're happy to offer you a consultancy service - simply get in touch for more information.
For all enquiries, contact me today via bethany.leaney@cpshomes.co.uk or call me on 02920 668585.
The information contained within this article was correct at the date of publishing and is not guaranteed to remain correct in the present day.
