Wales
Renting law in Wales
Wales runs on the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Tenancies are occupation contracts and tenants are contract-holders. Our compliance check covers England only, so this page explains what applies to you rather than giving you a score against the wrong statute.
Tenancies are occupation contracts, and tenants are contract-holders
Wales made this change on 1 December 2022, more than three years before England moved. A private landlord uses a standard occupation contract rather than an assured shorthold tenancy, and existing agreements were converted automatically.
A written statement is due within 14 days
Miss it and you face a compensation liability, and you cannot serve a no-fault notice until the position is put right. If the statement was late or incomplete, a further six-month wait applies before notice can be served at all.
No-fault possession still exists, but takes six months
Section 173 of the Act survives where England's Section 21 did not. The notice period is six months and it is only available where every contractual and statutory requirement has been met.
Registration and licensing go through Rent Smart Wales
Every private landlord must register, and anyone carrying out letting or management work needs a licence. This predates the 2016 Act and applies across the whole country rather than borough by borough.
Discrimination provisions commenced on 1 June 2026
It is now unlawful for a landlord or agent in Wales to discriminate against a prospective contract-holder because they have children or receive benefits.
Across the border
The same question, three answers
Housing is devolved, and the differences are substantial rather than cosmetic. If you let on both sides of a border, these are the ones that catch people out.
| Question | England | Wales | Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the tenancy called? | Assured tenancy, periodic since 1 May 2026 | Occupation contract, since 1 December 2022 | Private residential tenancy, since December 2017 |
| Is there a no-fault route? | No. Section 21 abolished | Yes. Section 173, six months' notice | No. Abolished in 2017 |
| Who decides a possession claim? | County court | County court | First-tier Tribunal, and every ground is discretionary |
| Do I have to register? | PRS Database, from late 2026 | Rent Smart Wales, already mandatory | Landlord register, already mandatory |
| How much notice to raise rent? | Two months, Section 13 | Two months | Three months |
Checked 1 September 2026. Devolved law moves independently, so confirm anything decisive with the regulator above.
If you also let in England
Our free check covers the English side of a cross-border portfolio. It will not tell you anything about your occupation contracts.
Check an English property