Rent Smart Wales, the registration and licensing scheme for landlords and agents with property in Wales, has successfully applied for the repayment of more than £22,000 of rent paid to an unlicensed landlord.

Pembrokeshire landlord Yvette Phillips, of Robert Street, Milford Haven, has been ordered to repay£22,357.71 in housing benefit that was paid to her during the time she was operating illegally after Rent Smart Wales successfully applied to theResidential Property Tribunal (Wales), theindependent tribunal forresolvingdisputes relating to private rented andleaseholdproperty,for the Rent Repayment Order.

Trading as estate agent R Miles Scurlock of Milford Haven, Mrs Phillips became the 1^stcommercial agent to be prosecuted last year for operating without a license.Cardiff Magistrates fined her £4,600 for three offences with £671 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Cardiff Council, the single licensing authority for Rent Smart Wales, said: "Non-compliance with Rent Smart Wales can be a costly business for landlords who think they can operate outside of the law. As well as pursing enforcement measures like fixed penalty notices and through the courts, when appropriate, Rent Smart Wales will apply for rent repayment orders to ensure convicted landlords do not profit from operating illegally.

"All landlords who are still unregistered and unlicensed should ask themselves, can they afford not to comply and take the necessary steps to do so without delay."