Landlords who ignored Rent Smart Wales requirements are paying the price for their non-compliance.

Four landlords with rental properties in Cardiff, Newport and Conwy have been handed fines at Cardiff Magistrates Court for failing to meet their obligations as set out in the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

All landlords with property in Wales must register themselves and their rental property while landlords who also let and manage the homes must also undergo training and become licensed.

North Wales landlord Joanne Day, of Betws Road, Llanrwst, was given a fine of £1,540 for three offences related to operating as an unregistered and unlicensed landlord. She will also have to pay costs of £490 and a £44 victim surcharge.

Muhammed Ahmed of Winchester Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire was found guilty in his absence and fined £1,100, ordered to pay costs of £459 and a victim surcharge of £66  for failing to register and for appointing an unlicensed agent for his Newport property.

Cardiff landlord Rizwan Ul Zaman did register as a landlord but did not fully comply with the law by then obtaining a licence. He was found guilty of two offences and fined £880 with £490.15 costs.

Similarly, Tom Brock of Llandaff Road, Riverside Cardiff also failed to apply for a licence to manage his Cathays property and was found guilty in his absence at court. He was fined £440, with £529 costs and a £44 victim surcharge.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Cardiff Council, the licensing authority for the whole of Wales, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "Rent Smart Wales works closely with local authorities in Wales to identify non-compliant landlords and agents in their areas.

"Complying with the law is much cheaper than a successful prosecution as these three landlords have found to their detriment. It's important to remember that for self-managing landlords, registration alone is not enough - they must also become licensed so we are reminding these landlords that they face prosecution if they fail to comply.

"If a landlord appoints an agent to manage their property for them, it's crucial they check that that agent is licensed to do so. As we see here, appointing an unlicensed agent also has pitfalls so please use our public register to ensure agents are legal."

To find out if a landlord or agent is complying with Rent Smart Wales, visithttps://www.rentsmart.gov.wales/en/check-register/