What landlords need to know about Welsh housing law in 2024
In 2011, Welsh Government gained the devolved power from UK Government to create its own housing laws in Wales, having previously shared laws with England.
More than a decade later (December 2022), The Renting Homes (Wales) Act was put into force, which rewrote the rulebook and changed a lot of what agents and landlords in Wales had been accustomed to over many years prior. The Act means only very few housing laws continue to be shared with England, so it has been a huge learning curve for all involved.
We've created the below guidance for the topics we feel landlords need to know most about, but if you’d like more information on a subject we haven’t covered, please do get in touch.
- All private rented sector tenancies were replaced by ‘occupation contracts’, where tenants became ‘contract-holders’. Tenancy agreements are now "Written Statements" and they must must include specifically-worded clauses. Welsh Government have produced a model Written Statement, but we won't be using this for our landlord clients. We strongly encourage you to read our detailed guidance to learn exactly why we're not using it and why it isn't in your best interest to use it either.
- A property is deemed unfit for human habitation if it doesn’t have a valid electrical safety certificate, a mains-wired interlinked smoke alarm system, and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a gas, oil or solid fuel burning appliance (including gas boilers).
- Minimum housing standards, which are covered by the 29 points in the new Fitness of Homes for Human Habitation (FFHH).
- Contract-holders are now guaranteed a minimum 12-month tenure and the way landlords regain possession has changed.
Further reading
Let CPS Homes help
We're experts on The Renting Homes (Wales) 2016 Act and are helping landlords navigate through the changes. By instructing us to manage your property, we will...
- Work with you to put efficient processes in place well in advance of key dates for new legislation and regulations, ensuring you and your properties are compliant, safe and legal.
- Save you the cost of a Rent Smart Wales landlord licence and the hassle of ongoing training.
- Maximise your rental income by ensuring the property is always achieving its full potential.
- Provide you with your own representative within our Lettings and Accounts departments.
- Produce a FREE professional walkthrough video tour and photography as part of our standard marketing package.
- Place you on our VIP Investor list where you'll get priority access to pre-market investment properties before they're listed online.
- Provide you with peace of mind via our Client Money Protection (CMP) policy, professional indemnity insurance, and redress scheme membership.
