Rent Smart Wales - Overseeing Licensing of Landlords & Lettings Agents in Wales

As from 23 November 2016 all landlords and letting agents must be registered and licensed under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. The Act requires all landlords with property in Wales to register with Rent Smart Wales and to either be licensed themselves if they’re managing the let or use a licensed agent.

Landlords may register online or alternatively register using a paper application. The fee landlords are required to pay can be seen on the Rent Smart website. The registration has to be renewed every 5 years and the fee is again payable at that point. Some registration details are publicly available.

All landlords and letting agents letting and / or managing property in Wales will be required to undertake training. The training is provided by Rent Smart Wales and other authorised providers. The training provides, at a minimum the following:

1. the statutory obligations of a landlord and tenant;
2. the contractual relationship between a landlord and tenant;
3. the role of an agent who carries out lettings work or property management work;
4. best practice in letting and managing dwellings subject to, or marketed or offered for let under, a domestic tenancy;

Landlords are advised to attend the one-day training in person however, Rent Smart Wales and other approved training providers also offer online courses.

Rent Smart Wales have implemented a code of practice which is made up of 2 elements. First, what landlords and agents managing rental property in Wales must do and second, what they can do to raise standards above the legal minimum. A landlord or agent who fails to comply with the requirements of the code could lose their licence and thus their right to let or manage their rental properties.

If landlords and letting agents fail to comply with the Housing Act (Wales) Act 2014, they could face substantial penalties and possibly criminal prosecution; there is also the inability to serve a section 21 notice and orders preventing the collection of and requiring the repayment of rent.

For further information - https://www.rentsmart.gov.wales

Our sister company - The Letting Training Centre (UK) Limited is now an Approved Training Provider under Rent Smart Wales - www.lettingtrainingcentre.co.uk

Susie Crolla - CEO