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Series of new rental reforms to come into force in Wales this summer, minister confirms
New rental reforms, which the Welsh government has branded the “biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades”, are set to come into force in July this year, the government has confirmed.
In a statement, climate change minister Julie James said the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 will come into force on 15 July. She acknowledged that the act, which was passed more than five years ago, “has taken longer than expected to implement”.
The act includes a number of major changes to rental law in Wales, including increasing the notice period that landlords must give when issuing ‘no-fault’ evictions from two to six months.
It will also no longer be possible for landlords to issue no-fault evictions during the first six months of a tenancy, meaning all tenants will be protected from no-fault evictions for a minimum 12-month period when entering into a new contract.
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It comes as UK government ministers promise to ban no-fault evictions entirely in England, with proposals to be put forward as part of an upcoming white paper.
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act will also require all landlords to provide a written copy of the occupation contract to their tenant, which should set out the rights and responsibilities of both parties.
A strengthened duty will also be placed on landlords to ensure the property they rent is fit for human habitation, including the installation of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and regular electrical safety testing.
The government said the act will also tackle ‘retaliatory evictions’, for example when a landlord serves notice to a tenant after they ask for repairs or complain about poor conditions.
From July, if a landlord responds to a request for repair by issuing a possession notice, they will no longer be automatically entitled to possession if the court decides that the landlord issued the notice to avoid carrying out the repair.
Ms James said: “This act represents the biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades.
“The act will make it simpler and easier to rent a home in Wales, replacing various complex pieces of existing legislation and case law with one clear legal framework.
“When in place, contract-holders in Wales will have greater security of tenure than in any other part of the UK.”
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act was originally passed in 2016.
In her statement, Ms James said that the delay to implementation was because the act “has required the development of many statutory instruments, some of which have required separate consultation”.
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