How to Complete a Wales Written Statement Without a Solicitor

You don't need a solicitor to complete a standard occupation contract written statement in Wales. The process is administrative — selecting the right model statement, populating the mandatory fields, classifying which terms you can modify, and delivering the document within the statutory window. A solicitor adds value when you face a dispute, a possession claim, or an unusual circumstance. For routine compliance on a straightforward letting, the work is procedural, and you can do it yourself.

That said, "procedural" does not mean "simple." The Welsh Government model written statement is a 40-page statutory document with blank fields, legal cross-references, and three categories of terms that each behave differently. The risk isn't that the process requires legal training — it doesn't. The risk is that the document's structure makes it easy to make a modification that's void by statute, miss a mandatory field that triggers a penalty, or deliver the statement in a way that doesn't satisfy the proof-of-service requirements.

The Five Steps to Complete the Written Statement Yourself

Step 1: Choose the Correct Model Statement

The Welsh Government prescribes two model written statements for private landlords under the Renting Homes (Model Written Statements of Contract) (Wales) Regulations 2022:

• Periodic Standard Contract — a rolling month-to-month (or week-to-week) arrangement with no fixed end date
• Fixed-Term Standard Contract (term under 7 years) — a contract for a specified duration, such as 6 or 12 months

The choice affects your notice obligations, your contract-holder's notice period, what happens at expiry, and your flexibility to recover possession. Under a periodic standard contract, you can serve a no-fault notice under section 173 after the first six months of occupation, requiring six months' notice. Under a fixed-term contract, the agreement generally remains in place until expiry; an earlier end depends on an applicable break clause, agreement between the parties, or a statutory possession route. At expiry, the contract automatically converts to a periodic standard contract under section 184 if the contract-holder remains in occupation.

Download the current model statements from gov.wales. The versions published on 29 May 2026 include the anti-discrimination fundamental terms under sections 54A and 54B, which became mandatory on 1 June 2026. Earlier model versions do not include these terms.

Step 2: Complete the Key Matters and Mandatory Fields

The written statement requires specific information known as "Key Matters" under Schedule 1 to the Act:

• Full legal names of the landlord and every contract-holder
• The address of the dwelling
• The occupation date (the date the contract-holder is entitled to begin occupying the dwelling)
• The rental amount, payment frequency, and payment method
• The rental period (weekly, monthly)

Every blank field in the Key Matters section must be completed. The occupation date is particularly important — it starts the 14-day clock for written statement delivery under section 31.

Step 3: Understand the Term Classification

This is where most DIY mistakes happen. The model written statement contains three categories of terms:

Fundamental terms are set by statute. Some are unalterable; others can be changed only if the change improves the contract-holder's legal position. They include the right to occupy the dwelling, the landlord's obligation to keep the dwelling fit for human habitation, deposit protection rules, anti-discrimination provisions (sections 54A and 54B), and notice and possession grounds. An alteration to an unalterable fundamental term, or one that reduces the contract-holder's rights under an alterable fundamental term, is void even if the contract-holder signs it.

Supplementary terms are statutory defaults that the parties can vary by written agreement. They cover areas like utility bill responsibility, notifying the landlord of disrepair, lock alterations, and long absences from the property. You can remove, replace, or modify a supplementary term by mutual agreement, provided the modified term doesn't contradict a fundamental term.

Additional terms are custom clauses the landlord drafts and includes in the written statement. A garden maintenance clause, a parking allocation, or a specific cleaning standard could each be an additional term. The constraint: an additional term that conflicts with a fundamental term is void, and an additional term that's unfair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 can be struck out.

Before adding or modifying any term, you need to know its classification. The model statement marks fundamental terms, but the distinction between a supplementary term you can vary and a fundamental term you can't isn't always obvious from the document's layout.

Step 4: Deliver Within 14 Days and Prove It

Under section 31 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, the complete written statement must reach the contract-holder within 14 days of the occupation date. The 14-day period starts on the occupation date — if the occupation date is 1 November, day 1 is 1 November, and the deadline is midnight on 14 November.

Three delivery methods satisfy sections 236 and 237 of the Act:

• Personal delivery — handing the hard-copy document directly to the contract-holder at the dwelling
• Postal service — first-class post or prepaid recorded delivery to the dwelling address
• Electronic transmission — email is valid only if the contract-holder has explicitly consented in writing to receive notices and written statements electronically

For each method, keep proof of service. Personal delivery: a signed and dated receipt from the contract-holder. Postal service: keep a written certificate of service; for prepaid recorded delivery, retain the postal receipt and tracking confirmation. Email: a copy of the sent email with the written consent on file.

If you have joint contract-holders, each one must receive an individual copy and you need proof of delivery for each.

Step 5: File Everything

Alongside the written statement, you must deliver Form RHW2 — the statutory notice giving the contract-holder the landlord's address for service. The deposit must be protected in an authorised scheme within 30 days of receipt, with the statutory Prescribed Information issued within the same window.

Keep a compliance file for the property containing: the signed written statement, proof of delivery with dates, Form RHW2 with proof of service, deposit protection certificate and Prescribed Information, and copies of all current safety certificates (gas, EICR, EPC, smoke and CO alarm records).

Where It Goes Wrong Without a System

The three most common errors for self-managing landlords completing the written statement themselves:

Adding a clause that contradicts a fundamental term. A landlord adds a "no children" clause or restricts the contract-holder from claiming housing benefit. Both provisions directly contradict the mandatory anti-discrimination fundamental terms under sections 54A and 54B. The clause is void on its face, and including it could constitute a breach of the fundamental term itself.

Delivering by email without written consent. A landlord emails the written statement assuming that email is an accepted delivery method in 2026. Without the contract-holder's prior written consent to electronic service, the delivery doesn't satisfy section 236 of the Act. The 14-day clock keeps running and the compensation liability builds.

Losing track of the occupation date. A landlord agrees a tenancy start date verbally, the contract-holder moves in a few days early by informal arrangement, and the landlord counts the 14 days from the date in the paperwork rather than the actual occupation date. Section 87 compensation runs from the real occupation date, not the date the landlord intended.

Who This Approach Is For

• Self-managing landlords with a straightforward single-let in Wales
• Landlords comfortable working through a structured administrative process
• Anyone who wants to understand the compliance requirements before outsourcing to an agent
• Landlords renewing a periodic arrangement after a fixed-term expiry

Who This Approach Is NOT For

• Landlords facing an active dispute or possession claim — you need a solicitor
• Complex arrangements involving HMOs, multiple dwellings, or charitable housing
• Landlords who want someone else to handle the administration entirely — a full-management letting agent is the right service

The Cost of Getting It Wrong vs. Getting Help

The statutory compensation for a late written statement is one day's rent for every day of delay, capped at two months' rent. On a property renting at £700 per month, that's up to £1,400; statutory interest accrues if the statement remains unprovided beyond two months. There is no warning letter or grace period. Deposit protection failures add one to three times the deposit amount.

A letting agent charges roughly 10% of rent plus VAT per month on a continuing basis. A solicitor's one-off fee for reviewing a written statement runs several hundred pounds.

The Occupation Contracts in Wales guide provides the full compliance system — the contract type decision framework, a term classification matrix that categorises every term in the model statement, the 14-day delivery protocol with receipt logging, an agent handover checklist, and a dated compliance checklist — as a one-time purchase. It's the process layer that turns the free government download into a defensible compliance record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I make a mistake in the written statement — can I correct it?

Provide a complete corrected statement promptly. Section 34 does not create a general correction procedure: it lets the contract-holder apply to court for a declaration of the contract terms if the landlord fails to provide the required written statement. If the original statement was incomplete or incorrect, a later correction does not erase compensation due for failing to provide a complete and accurate statement within the statutory period.

Do I still need to deliver a written statement if the contract-holder already has a copy of the model statement?

Yes. The statutory duty under section 31 requires the landlord to provide a completed written statement that incorporates the specific Key Matters of the individual contract — names, address, occupation date, rent, deposit details. An uncompleted model statement template doesn't satisfy the requirement.

Can a contract-holder refuse to sign the written statement?

The contract-holder's signature isn't required for the written statement to be valid. The landlord's obligation is to deliver the completed statement within 14 days. If the contract-holder refuses to sign a receipt, use recorded post instead and retain the Royal Mail tracking confirmation as your proof of delivery.

What happens if I discover my written statement is missing the June 2026 anti-discrimination terms?

The anti-discrimination provisions under sections 54A and 54B are fundamental terms. They apply automatically by force of statute whether or not the written statement mentions them. However, the landlord was required to issue a written statement of variation (or an updated model statement) by 14 June 2026. If that deadline was missed, issue the updated statement as soon as possible; section 34 concerns a court application for a declaration when the landlord fails to provide a section 31 written statement.

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