Cardiff tenants paying for 'poor conditions' in HMO properties

Homes that Cardiff's students could be living in next year have been found to have issues including fire safety, security, damp and electrical hazards.

A total of 80 homes of multiple occupation (HMOs) fall below licensing standards, according to Cardiff Council figures released under a freedom of information request.

The city has nearly 6,400 HMOs.

Cathays councillor Norma Mackie said some tenants were "paying good money" for properties in a "poor condition".

Fire risks were the most common issue with 67 instances, while 44 homes had damp and mould, and 35 were said to be vulnerable to entry by intruders.

Electrical hazards affected 33 homes, while 11 houses were at risk of structural collapse, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

An HMO is a property with at least three tenants, sharing facilities such as toilets, bathrooms and kitchens.

Most of Cardiff's HMOs are in Cathays and Roath, near Cardiff University, with tenants paying about £400 a month in Cathays.

"There are some very good landlords but, unfortunately, there are sometimes very poor landlords," said Ms Mackie.

A Cardiff Council spokesperson said the authority inspected HMOs once every five years, in line with the law, with additional inspections following complaints.

In the past five years, there have been 54 prosecutions or formal cautions against HMO landlords in Cardiff due to safety or environmental issues, and 153 prohibition orders.