What is the Renting Homes Act?

The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 is the biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades and from 1 December 2022 will change the way all landlords in Wales rent their properties. It will improve how we rent, manage, and live in rented homes in Wales, whether in the social or private sector.

Who is affected by the new law?

All social and private tenants will see some changes:

• in the way their contracts are provided
• in the way their homes are maintained
• to how they communicate with their landlords

All social and private landlords, including those who rent their properties through management companies or agents, will need to:

• comply with the new law
• make the necessary updates to their properties and paperwork

What does the new law mean for me?

Tenants

Under the new law, tenants and licencees will become ‘contract-holders’. Tenancy agreements will be replaced with ‘occupation contracts’.

The new law will make renting easier and provide greater security.

For contract-holders this will mean:

• receiving a written contract setting out your rights and responsibilities
• an increase in the ‘no fault’ notice period from two to six months
• greater protection from eviction
• improved succession rights, these set out who has a right to continue to live in a dwelling, for example after the current tenant dies
• more flexible arrangements for joint contract-holders, making it easier to add or remove others to an occupation contract

Landlords

For landlords this will mean:

• A simpler system, with two types of contracts: ‘Secure’ for the social rented sector and ‘Standard’ for the private rented sector.
• Ensuring homes are fit for human habitation (FFHH). This will include electrical safety testing and ensuring working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are fitted.
• Abandoned properties can be repossessed without needing a court order.

What should I do next?

If you would like to know more about how the new law will affect you, please visit Welsh Government for more information and guidance You don’t need to do anything right now.