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.
How it arrived
The dates that matter
1 December 2022
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act came fully into force. Tenancies became occupation contracts and existing agreements converted automatically.
1 June 2023
The deadline passed for issuing written statements to converted contracts.
1 June 2026
Discrimination provisions commenced, covering children and benefit recipients.
What you have to hold
Your obligations in Wales
The equivalent of the list our English check works through. Confirm anything decisive with Rent Smart Wales, because devolved law moves on its own timetable.
Written statement of the contract
Due within 14 days of occupation. Late or incomplete, and you owe compensation and cannot serve a no-fault notice.
Registration with Rent Smart Wales
Every private landlord in Wales must register, whether or not they use an agent.
Licence to let or manage
Required if you carry out letting or management work yourself. Using a licensed agent is the alternative.
Fitness for human habitation
The dwelling must be fit throughout the contract, including working smoke alarms on every storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a fuel-burning appliance.
Electrical safety
An EICR every five years, with a copy given to the contract-holder.
Gas safety
Annual check by a Gas Safe engineer, copy provided.
Deposit protection
In an approved scheme, with prescribed information served.
Energy Performance Certificate
Valid EPC provided at the start of the contract.
No discrimination
Since 1 June 2026 it is unlawful to refuse a 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