Residential Property Tribunal Wales — Appealing a Rent Smart Wales Licence Decision

When You Can Appeal

Rent Smart Wales has the power to refuse a licence application, revoke an existing licence, or attach conditions to a licence under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. If any of these decisions goes against you, the Residential Property Tribunal Wales (RPTW) is the statutory appeal body.

Common grounds for a Rent Smart Wales adverse decision include failing the fit-and-proper person test (criminal convictions involving fraud, dishonesty, violence, or housing law contraventions), failure to complete approved training, and breaches of licence conditions discovered during an agent audit. The decision letter from Rent Smart Wales will set out the reasons and explain your right to appeal.

The RPTW Appeal Process

The Residential Property Tribunal Wales sits under the Welsh Tribunals system and handles housing disputes across Wales, including Rent Smart Wales licensing matters, rent repayment orders, and HMO licensing appeals.

Filing the appeal. Appeals must be lodged within the statutory deadline, typically 28 days from service of the decision notice. Use the tribunal's current application form (for example, Form RPT9) and follow the filing instructions in the decision notice and on the RPTW website.

Evidence and hearing. Follow the RPTW's current directions for the evidence required and whether the appeal will be decided at a hearing or on written submissions.

What the tribunal can do. The RPTW hears statutory appeals against Rent Smart Wales decisions. Check its current guidance for the orders it can make in your case.

Section 26 Continuation — Your Licence During an Appeal

One critical protection: under Section 26(1) of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, if you submitted a valid renewal application before your licence expired, the existing licence continues in force while Rent Smart Wales processes the renewal. This continuation covers the processing period; do not assume it extends through a later RPTW appeal.

Section 26(1) concerns a pending renewal application, not a mid-term revocation. For the effect of an appeal on a revocation or other decision, follow the decision notice and current RPTW procedure.

Costs and Practical Considerations

Before filing, check the RPTW's current guidance for any fee, cost rules, and expected timescale. Keep your Rent Smart Wales registration current; registration and licence renewal dates run independently.

Fit-and-Proper Decisions

Section 20 requires the Licensing Authority to determine whether an applicant is fit and proper. The RPTW is the statutory appeal body for Rent Smart Wales licensing decisions; follow the current application and decision-notice instructions for questions about individual conviction disclosures.

Before You Reach the Appeal Stage

Complete the declarations requested by the current Rent Smart Wales form accurately, including the conviction, enforcement, or company information it asks for. If you are unsure whether a particular conviction must be disclosed, check with Rent Smart Wales before submitting.

Our Rent Smart Wales Registration and Licensing Guide covers the fit-and-proper person test in detail, walks through the training and application sequence, and includes a compliance record you can use to document your regulatory standing before and after licensing.

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