First prosecution under Selective Licensing scheme
A landlord who failed to properly manage a home he rented out in Llanelli’s Tyisha ward has become the first landlord prosecuted by Carmarthenshire County Council under its Selective Licensing scheme . The council introduced Selective Licensing in Tyisha in 2014 in an effort to improve living conditions for tenants and bring down levels of anti-social behaviour. The scheme requires all landlords to apply for a license, but landlord Brett Richard Taylor had failed to apply. He pleaded guilty at Carmarthenshire Magistrates Court on Friday, June 26, to an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Housing Act 2004, in that he failed to correctly licence his premises. He was fined £290 with further costs totalling £433. His tenant may now be able to claim back all the rental payments made during the period the property was unlicensed. More significantly, because of his conviction, Taylor is not classified as a ‘fit and proper person’ to manage any properties he owns in Tyisha and must nominat...