A landlord has been ordered to pay just under £7,500 after the discovery of serious fire and electrical safety risks that posed an imminent risk of serious harm to residents.

Delwara Choudhury, of Cardiff, pleaded guilty to 14 offences relating to a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in the city. 

The three-storey, Victorian, terraced property comprised a ground-floor mini market and residential accommodation occupied by 10 unrelated individuals sharing six bedrooms.

A council inspection identified inadequate fire safety measures, exposed live electrical wiring within reach of occupants, damp and mould, unsafe stairs, insanitary kitchen and bathroom facilities, a rodent infestation, poor lighting and ventilation, and missing handrails.

Officers found that the only route of escape from the living accommodation was unacceptably long through several rooms and a kitchen area, leaving all six bedrooms as inner rooms without an adequate means of escape in the event of a fire. 

The property also lacked sufficient structural fire separation and fire doors. 

Although there was a fire alarm system present, it was not appropriate for this type of property, and it wasn’t clear whether it worked at all.

Following the inspection, officers assessed the property and determined that there was an imminent risk of serious harm to occupants due to the hazards associated with fire risk and unsafe electricity installations.

As a result, an Emergency Prohibition Order was made in July 2025, requiring all residents to vacate the property immediately. 

The order also prohibited the property from being reoccupied until the necessary works had been completed and the order was formally revoked by Shared Regulatory Services.

The investigation also established that the property should have been licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation under the Housing Act 2004, but no licence application had been submitted. 

In addition, the property was not registered with Rent Smart Wales and there was no licensed manager in place, resulting in further offences under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

Choudhury was fined £700 each for five offences relating to the lack of a suitable fire alarm system, inadequate structural fire separation, an out-of-date fire extinguisher, failure to licence the property under the Housing Act 2004 and failure to register with Rent Smart Wales. This resulted in total fines of £3,500.

She was also ordered to pay £2,500 towards Cardiff Council’s legal costs and a victim surcharge of £1,400.

It is understood that Choudhury has since terminated her lease and no longer has any involvement with the property.