Cardiff tenants faced serious risks inside an unlicensed HMO

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-30 10:15 3 min read

An old stone residential property obscured by tall, dried ornamental grasses in Cardiff.

A Cardiff landlord has been fined and ordered to pay almost £7,500 after inspectors found serious fire, electrical and hygiene hazards at a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in Canton.

Mrs Delwara Choudhury, of Clos Halket, Canton, pleaded guilty to 14 offences at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 27 July 2026. The case followed an inspection of a three-storey Victorian terrace on Cowbridge Road East, where 10 unrelated residents occupied six bedrooms above a ground-floor mini market.

Fire and electrical hazards led to immediate evacuation

Shared Regulatory Services officers found exposed live electrical wiring within reach of occupants, inadequate fire precautions, unsafe stairs, missing handrails and poor lighting and ventilation. The property also had damp and mould, insanitary kitchen and bathroom facilities and a rodent infestation.

All six bedrooms were classed as inner rooms because the only escape route ran through several rooms and a kitchen. Officers also found insufficient structural fire separation and missing fire doors. Although a fire alarm system was installed, it was not suitable for the type of property and officers could not establish whether it worked.

The hazards were assessed as creating an imminent risk of serious harm. An Emergency Prohibition Order was issued on 7 July 2025, requiring residents to leave immediately and preventing the property from being reoccupied until required works were completed and the order revoked.

Court penalty included fines, costs and surcharge

The court fined Mrs Choudhury £700 for each of five offences. These related to the unsuitable fire alarm, inadequate fire separation, an out-of-date fire extinguisher, failure to licence the HMO and failure to register with Rent Smart Wales.

The fines totalled £3,500. She was also ordered to pay £2,500 towards Cardiff Council’s legal costs and a £1,400 victim surcharge, making the total financial order £7,400.

Cardiff tenants faced serious risks inside an unlicensed HMO

The investigation found that the property should have held an HMO licence under the Housing Act 2004. It was also not registered with Rent Smart Wales, and no licensed manager was in place under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

Appeal was dismissed before the court hearing

Mrs Choudhury appealed against the Emergency Prohibition Order to the Residential Property Tribunal for Wales. That appeal was dismissed on 13 July 2026.

It is understood that she has since ended her lease and no longer has any involvement with the property. The case follows other enforcement action involving dangerous HMOs, including a Wembley landlord banned over overcrowded housing.

What tenants can check when housing appears unsafe

The case highlights several issues residents may encounter in shared rental accommodation: missing or unsuitable fire alarms, blocked or excessively long escape routes, exposed wiring, unsafe stairs, damp, pests and absent landlord or property-management licensing.

Tenants concerned about immediate fire or electrical danger should leave if it is unsafe to remain and seek emergency assistance where necessary. The Cardiff Council release does not provide a specific reporting telephone number or online form; residents should use the council’s current housing-enforcement contact details when raising concerns about a rental property.

Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cardiff Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said landlords and property managers have a legal responsibility to keep homes safe and ensure the required licences and registrations are in place.

Source: Cardiff Council Newsroom

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

This report follows the council’s published account of the inspection, court outcome and enforcement timeline.

Checks

Matched the court date of 27 July 2026 and the Emergency Prohibition Order dated 7 July 20...
Checked the reported hazards, including fire separation, exposed wiring, damp, pests and u...
Recalculated the financial order as £3,500 in fines, £2,500 in costs and a £1,400 surcharg...
Separated confirmed enforcement details from the release’s limited information about tenan...

Cardiff Council Newsroom Check Cardiff HMO enforcement