🏴 Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 replaced assured shorthold tenancies in Wales with “occupation contracts” — a simpler, clearer framework with stronger protections for contract-holders and clearer duties for landlords.
Commencement Timeline
100% of stages completedBill introduced in the Senedd
9 Feb 2015The Renting Homes (Wales) Bill was introduced to the National Assembly for Wales.
Royal Assent
18 Jan 2016The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 received Royal Assent, becoming an Act of the Welsh Assembly.
Commencement regulations laid
15 Jun 2022The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (Commencement No. 3 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2022 laid before the Senedd.
Amendment Act passed
26 May 2021Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Act 2021 — extended minimum notice periods to six months and increased the minimum fixed term to 12 months.
Act commenced
1 Dec 2022The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 came into force on 1 December 2022. All existing assured/assured shorthold tenancies automatically converted to occupation contracts.
What changed
Phase 1 — Commencement (1 December 2022)
The Act came fully into force. All existing assured/AST tenancies in Wales converted automatically to occupation contracts.
- Assured & assured shorthold tenancies abolished in Wales — replaced by 'occupation contracts'
- Two contract types: Standard (most private lets) and Secure (council/RSL)
- Landlords must issue a written statement of the contract within 14 days of occupation
- Minimum fixed-term of 12 months for new standard contracts (except converted contracts)
- Six-month minimum notice period for landlord no-fault (s.173) notices
- No landlord s.173 notice may be given in the first six months of occupation
- Fitness for Human Habitation (FFHH) standard applies to all occupation contracts
- Working smoke alarms on every storey and CO alarms in rooms with fuel-burning appliances required
- Electrical safety inspection (EICR) every 5 years required as a condition of FFHH
- Retaliatory eviction provisions: courts can refuse s.173 possession where landlord is retaliating
Phase 2 — Ongoing obligations
Continuing duties that apply to every occupation contract and landlord operating in Wales.
- All landlords must be registered with Rent Smart Wales
- All persons carrying out letting/management activities must be licensed with Rent Smart Wales
- Model written statements (published by Welsh Government) must be used or substantially reflected
- Fundamental, supplementary and additional terms must be correctly categorised in the written statement
- Deposit protection continues — use one of the three approved schemes
- Joint contract-holder provisions allow adding/removing contract-holders without ending the contract
- Abandonment procedure: four-week warning notice before landlord can recover possession without a court order
- Succession rights extended — priority and reserve successors
Occupation contract documents
Welsh tenancies now use one of the following written-statement document types. Landlords must issue a written statement within 14 days of occupation.
Standard occupation contract
Most common contract for private landlords in Wales. Equivalent to the old AST.
Secure occupation contract
Issued by community landlords (local authorities, registered social landlords).
Converted contract — written statement
Written statement for tenancies that existed before 1 December 2022 and were automatically converted.
Supported standard contract
Standard contract variant for supported accommodation with additional provisions.
Required Actions Checklist
What you need to do to remain compliant, based on your role.
For Letting Agents
7 actionsHold a valid Rent Smart Wales licence
criticalEvery person carrying out letting or management activities for a Welsh property must hold a Rent Smart Wales licence. Verify your licence is current and cover all branches/staff who act as agents.
Adopt Welsh occupation contract templates
criticalReplace AST templates for Welsh properties with a model written statement (standard occupation contract). Ensure fundamental, supplementary and additional terms are correctly marked — any deviation from a fundamental term must be approved by a court.
Issue written statement within 14 days
criticalFor every new occupation contract, provide the contract-holder with a written statement within 14 days of the occupation date. Failure entitles the contract-holder to compensation equal to daily rent.
Train staff on Welsh notice periods
highStaff must understand that s.173 'no-fault' notices require six months' notice and cannot be served in the first six months of a contract. Breach-of-contract notices have different timeframes. Update internal workflows and calendar reminders.
Audit Welsh portfolio for Fitness for Human Habitation
criticalAll Welsh occupation contracts imply that the dwelling is fit for human habitation. Conduct a portfolio-wide FFHH audit covering the 29 hazards, smoke alarms on every storey, CO alarms, and a current EICR (within 5 years).
Update retaliatory eviction policy
highCourts in Wales can refuse a s.173 possession order if the landlord is serving notice in response to a contract-holder's request for repairs. Document repair requests and the landlord's remedial response before serving any notice.
Implement the abandonment procedure
mediumWelsh landlords can recover possession of an abandoned property without a court order — but only after a four-week warning notice and investigation. Document the procedure and train staff to follow it correctly.
For Landlords
5 actionsRegister with Rent Smart Wales
criticalEvery landlord with a property in Wales must be registered with Rent Smart Wales. Registration is a one-off requirement but you must keep your details current.
Hold a Rent Smart Wales licence if self-managing
criticalIf you carry out letting or management activities yourself (not through a licensed agent), you also need a landlord licence. The licence requires training and a fit-and-proper-person assessment.
Understand occupation contracts
criticalYour Welsh tenancies are now occupation contracts with fundamental and supplementary terms. Familiarise yourself with the Standard Contract and how it differs from an AST — particularly the 6-month notice period for s.173 notices.
Ensure your Welsh property meets the FFHH standard
criticalFit for Human Habitation is implied into every contract. You must provide working smoke alarms on every storey, CO alarms in rooms with fuel-burning appliances, and a valid EICR every 5 years.
Hold a current 5-yearly EICR
highAn Electrical Installation Condition Report is a condition of FFHH in Wales. It must be renewed at least every five years — or sooner if the previous report requires it.
For Contract-holders (Tenants)
4 actionsRequest your written statement
highYour landlord must give you a written statement of your occupation contract within 14 days of you moving in. If you do not have one, ask for it in writing — you are entitled to compensation if it is not provided.
Verify your landlord is Rent Smart Wales registered
mediumSearch the Rent Smart Wales public register to confirm your landlord or agent is registered/licensed. Unregistered landlords may face enforcement action and restrictions on serving possession notices.
Know your notice protections
highA landlord cannot serve a s.173 (no-fault) notice in the first six months of your contract, and must then give at least six months' notice. You have strong protection against eviction where you have recently raised a repair issue.
Understand your Fitness for Human Habitation rights
mediumYour home must be fit for human habitation throughout the contract. Landlords must fix serious hazards, provide working smoke/CO alarms, and produce a valid EICR. If your landlord refuses, you can apply to court for an order requiring the work.
Key Milestones
Renting Homes (Wales) Bill introduced
The Welsh Government introduced the Renting Homes Bill to the National Assembly following a Law Commission report identifying the fragmented and outdated state of Welsh rental law.
Royal Assent — the Act becomes law
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 received Royal Assent. Commencement was delayed pending secondary legislation and model written statements.
Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Act 2021
The Amendment Act extended landlord no-fault notice periods to six months and introduced the rule that no s.173 notice can be served in the first six months of occupation.
Welsh Government publishes model written statements
Welsh Government published the model written statements for standard and secure occupation contracts — landlords are strongly encouraged to use these to ensure compliance.
Act comes into force
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 came into force. Every existing tenancy in Wales automatically converted to an occupation contract on the same day.
Deadline for converted contract written statements
The six-month period for landlords to provide a converted written statement to existing contract-holders expired. Landlords who missed this face compensation claims equivalent to daily rent.
Manage a Welsh portfolio?
Sign in to your Purple Pepper dashboard to track your Rent Smart Wales licensing, occupation contract issuance, and Fitness for Human Habitation audits — all with dated deadline alerts.