Property services in Cardiff

Shared houses in Cathays and Roath can need a licence

In Wales, a house in multiple occupation with three or more storeys and five or more people needs a mandatory licence from the council. Cardiff Council also runs an additional licensing scheme across the Cathays ward and has run one in Plasnewydd, which takes in much of Roath, so smaller shared houses there can need a licence too. Many of these tenancies end together in early summer, which squeezes cleaning and repairs between lets into a few weeks.

Cathedral Road and Roath Mill Gardens have extra planning controls

Both areas are covered by Article 4 directions, which mean small changes to the front of a house can need planning permission. New doors, windows, front walls and a change of exterior paint colour are worth checking with the council's conservation team before work is booked.

Trees in Llandaff and other conservation areas need six weeks' notice

Anyone planning to fell or prune a tree in a Cardiff conservation area must give the council six weeks' notice if the trunk is more than 7.5 cm across at 1.5 metres above the ground. A tree with its own Tree Preservation Order needs the council's consent before any work.

Permit parking decides where a removal van can stop

Much of inner Cardiff is covered by residents' parking schemes, and terraced streets in Cathays and Roath often have cars parked on both sides. The walk from the van to the front door sets how long a move takes and how many people it needs, so the street name, the floor and the nearest place a van could stand all affect the quote.