A letting agent has been fined after failing to provide information to the compulsory Welsh licensing scheme, Rent Smart Wales.

Robert Bistula, director of Easy Rent in Cardiff, was found guilty after apparently failing to co-operate in an audit by Rent Smart Wales.

It requested information about properties he manages in the city including evidence of membership of a Client Money Protection scheme.

Bistula is said to have failed to provide the information, and following the adjournment of the case several times, has now been successfully prosecuted by Rent Smart Wales at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court.

He was fined £2,000 with £2,400 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

Cllr Lynda Thorne, cabinet member for housing and communities at Cardiff Council, the single licensing authority for Rent Smart Wales, said: “Agent audits are an important tool for Rent Smart Wales to ensure letting agents are complying with the conditions of their licence and the Code of Practice.

“They are intended to make sure agents are providing a high quality, professional service and meeting all of their legal obligations, and in doing so are protecting the interests of tenants and landlords and contributing towards a continuous improvement culture in the private rented sector in Wales.

“As this case shows, enforcement action will be taken against agents whose non-compliance is highlighted as a result of an audit.

“Failure to engage with the audit process may result in a licence being revoked, so it is essential that agents ensure their house is in order in terms of their business practices and compliance with Rent Smart Wales.”

Rent Smart Wales, by which all landlords must register and letting agents be licensed, is thought to be a template for England, where the Government has said it wants to bring in a compulsory scheme.