A Riverside landlord has been ordered to pay £3,509 after admitting he re-let flats that were banned from being used as homes, and that he had neither registered the property nor held a licence to manage it under Rent Smart Wales.
Said Moussef, 67, the freeholder and landlord of 105 Kings Road, Riverside, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 9 October 2026, where he pleaded guilty to six charges brought by Cardiff Council.
What officers found at Kings Road
The prosecution followed a complaint received in March 2026. When officers inspected the building, they found the first and second-floor flats occupied, even though both were subject to Prohibition Orders and the required works had not been completed. Interviewed under caution, Mr Moussef told officers he had re-let the flats in October and November 2025.
Officers identified several hazards at the property, including an inadequate fire alarm system, incomplete or defective fire doors, damp, trip and fall hazards, and concerns about the layout of the second-floor flat. The tenants of the first-floor flat had no control over their own heating either, because it was supplied by a boiler in the ground-floor flat, which they could not get to.
The charges and the bill
The charges included offences under Sections 4 and 7 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, for failing to register the rented property and failing to hold the licence needed to manage it. Checks with Rent Smart Wales confirmed that the flats were not registered and that Mr Moussef was not licensed to manage them.
The court fined him £1,520 for the Rent Smart Wales offences and a further £476 for breaching two Prohibition Orders. He was also ordered to pay Cardiff Council’s costs of £750 and a victim surcharge of £763, bringing the total to £3,509.
“The Council will act”
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: “Landlords have clear legal responsibilities when renting out property in Cardiff, including ensuring they meet the registration and licensing requirements of Rent Smart Wales.
“These requirements are in place for an important reason. They help support proper standards in the private rented sector and provide greater protection for tenants.
“In this case, the property was not registered, and the landlord was not licensed to manage it. Flats had also been re-let despite Prohibition Orders remaining in place. While private sector landlords make an invaluable contribution to Cardiff’s housing stock, the Council will act where landlords fail to meet their legal responsibilities and put tenants at risk.
“Details of this prosecution have been sent to Rent Smart Wales who will now consider whether Mr. Moussef remains a fit and proper person to be licensed to manage his portfolio of privately rented accommodation in Cardiff.”
Picture for illustration only, not the property in this case. Photo: Gonzalo Facello on Unsplash.
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