Many of us will be aware of the huge changes taking place in the Private Rental Sector in England under the Renters Rights Act 2025. The changes introduced by that Act are generally intended to have effect in England only but, Landlords of properties in Wales are still impacted by the new Act and must take steps now to ensure continued compliance with the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
Whilst there are now a significant number of changes to the way properties in England can be rented in the private sector, the only new rules under the Renters Rights Act that have an impact in Wales are those that prevent discrimination against families and Tenants/Contract Holders receiving benefits. However, once the law comes into force on 1 June 2026, Landlords in Wales must add new clauses to their existing, and future Occupation Contracts by no later than 14 JUNE 2026.
But there’s no need to panic too much. Whilst the deadline is looming, the obligation on Welsh Landlords can be achieved quite simply by either providing an updated copy of the full Written Statement of Terms (Occupation Contract) incorporating Clauses reflecting the changes, or by providing a Statement of Variation explaining the changes (which is what we would recommend).
You will of course also need to ensure that any future Occupation Contract you enter into is also in compliance with the new legislation and so overwriting a previous Occupation Contract, as you may have done in earlier years, will render the same non-compliant with the amended Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
Should you need any assistance or advice in relation to ensuring that your rental property is in compliance with the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and associated legislation please contact us in our Cardiff Office on 02920 470909 for advice and assistance from our Specialist Landlord & Tenant Team.