The Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee has published its long-anticipated report on the Private Rented Sector (PRS), with 13 recommendations set to shape the future of housing in Wales. We provided written and oral evidence as part of the inquiry and welcome the adoption of several of our long-term policy calls but warn proposals could negatively impact landlords and the supply of rental properties.

The Welsh Government is consulting on potentially world-leading reforms that includes proposals which outline new legal duties for a range of bodies, with the acknowledgement that the keys to solving homelessness often lie with other agencies outside that system.

A Welsh Government White Paper has set out plans to consolidate nine devolved tribunals into a single coherent system which includes both First-Tier and Appeal tribunals. The reforms are intended to create a structure that is easier for users to navigate, allows better management of cases, and more effective use of resources.

Propertymark has supported the Welsh Government’s proposals to exempt hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation used for local authority homelessness purposes from occupational contracts as part of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

Propertymark has given evidence to the influential Senedd Local Government and Housing Committee’s inquiry looking at the supply, quality and affordability, current challenges, opportunities for partnership working with the social sector, the effectiveness of regulation, barriers to accessing the sector and the availability of data on the PRS.

With confusion among agents and overwhelming some landlords, Propertymark believes the regulation will become easier to follow, however, it remains to be seen if the changes across Wales will impact the supply of rented property and potentially change the types of landlords willing to invest.

Following a consultation where 90% of the 1400 responses were from letting agents and landlords, the vast majority were against a six-month no-fault notice period for existing tenancies that convert to occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

Propertymark has strongly objected to the Welsh Government’s consultation proposal to extend the notice period required for converted periodic standard contracts, from two months to six months, under section 173 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act.

The Welsh Government has announced a postponement to the implementation of the Act until 1 December 2022, which was originally set to come into force on 15 July 2022.

The implementation of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act starts on 15 July 2022 and landlords should be mindful that they are obliged to ensure all rental properties are in repair and fit for human habitation.

Following the Welsh Government’s confirmation that the Renting Homes (Wales) Act will be implemented from 15 July 2022, regulations have been laid which set out the required content of occupation contracts.

The Act, which was first passed in 2016, represents the biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades. It increases protections for tenants and contract-holders through the introduction of a single, clear framework.

Janet Finch-Saunders MS, the Welsh Conservative spokesperson for housing, has urged the Welsh Government to review the possibility of developing a housing tribunal.

We have urged consistency across tenancy agreements and suggested the introduction of a checklist to support landlords and agents to comply with the new rules.

To make it simpler and easier to rent a home in Wales the Welsh Government passed The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. This Act creates many changes to current tenancy laws, which are anticipated to be introduced in early 2022.