Over 100 days since the Renting Homes Act

The Act has made several key changes to housing law in Wales and works alongside the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019.

Bringing both the social and private rented sector (PRS) under one single piece of legal framework, the changes to the PRS include higher standards for properties such as obligations to keep homes in a state of good repair and fit for human habitation as well as more rights for tenants regarding break clauses, joint contracts and ‘no fault’ notices.

All under one roof

Given the number of areas covered within the regulations, it is important to remember that many of these requirements were already asked of landlords, and the main change now is that everything sits under one set of rules.

A prominent area of contention was the requirement for the address of a landlord to be displayed within a tenancy agreement. It appeared that they had to provide their own address which caused a lot of confusion and questions for those who have fully managed properties by an agency. After raising this with the Welsh Government, Propertymark received clarity that if a property is fully managed, this can state the agency’s address rather than the landlord's direct address, under the landlord’s discretion.

As the legislation embeds and clarity is sought on other teething issues, we believe the regulation will become easier to follow. Propertymark has and continues to engage with the Welsh Government to feed in underlying questions and concerns from our member agents.

Using a reputable agent

With all changes, an opportunity is there for the taking. Good, reputable agents who fully manage properties and are well-versed in ensuring all requirements are adhered to will be vital to making investments for landlords stress-free. We encourage landlords to do their research and find a local Propertymark agent that suits their needs.

Supporting Propertymark members

With access to ten fact sheets covering different elements of the Act, a webinar recording where Simon White, from the Housing Policy Division at the Welsh Government explains details of the changes, FAQs of questions from member agents, and documents, Propertymark members are fully supported to navigate through the changes with everything available on a dedicated Renting Homes (Wales) Act web page.

Continuing professional development

For agents with any questions regarding the Act or who are looking to broaden their knowledge, Propertymark’s Welsh National Conference on 11 May in Cardiff, is the ideal place to come to continually develop.

As part of our #makeitfreefor23 campaign, Propertymark members have a £100 credit they can utilise. Non-members are also welcome to attend where they can discover how membership can enhance their career and business.