What Landlords Need to know About the Renting Homes (Wales) Act from 1st December 2022

“The biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades.” – Julie James (Welsh Gov Minister)

The Welsh Government have announced that the long-awaited Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 will finally come into force on 1st December 2022 after an initial postponement from July.

Not only does the legislation overhaul the current model of tenancy agreement but also conveys new obligations on landlords.

You can find news items of these changes on our website but here are some of the main points:

All private rented sector tenancies will be replaced by ‘occupation contracts’, where tenants become ‘contract-holders’. These contracts must include template clauses. Existing tenancies must be converted to occupation contracts within six months of 1st December 2022.
A property will be deemed unfit for human habitation if it is without 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).
There will be new minimum housing standards, which are covered by the 29 points in the new Fitness of Homes for Human Habitation (FFHH).
Tenants will be guaranteed a minimum 12-month tenure and a six-month notice period to regain possession.

Let Bay help with the transition.

As experienced letting agents, we have helped our landlords comply with a multitude of regulation changes over the last twenty years, taking the hassle out of what can be an onerous process.

Our team are up to speed with The Renting Homes (Wales) 2016 Act and are helping prepare landlords for the changes ahead by:

Working with our landlords in advance of the keys implementation dates to put efficient processes in place to ensure their properties are compliant, safe and legal.
Saving out landlords the cost of a Rent Smart Wales landlord licence and the hassle of ongoing training through our fully managed service.
Provide out landlords with their own dedicated Property Manager as a point of contact
Producing a walkthrough video tour and high-level photography as part of our standard marketing package.
Providing our landlords with peace of mind through our Propertymark membership, Client Money Protection (CMP) policy, professional indemnity insurance, and redress scheme membership.