How to Serve a Rent Increase Notice in Wales: Section 237 Rules

Why Service Method Matters

Completing Form RHW12 correctly is half the job. The other half is serving it through a method recognised by Section 237 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. If the notice is not lawfully served, the rent increase has no legal effect — regardless of how accurately the form itself was filled in.

Section 237 sets out three permitted methods. Each one carries different rules for when service is "deemed" to have occurred, which directly affects the two-month notice calculation.

Method 1: Hand Delivery

Give the notice directly to the contract-holder in person. Service is deemed to occur on the day you hand it over.

This is the simplest method with the most certain deemed service date. The risk is proving it happened — if a dispute arises later, you need evidence.

Best practice: Have the contract-holder sign and date a receipt acknowledging they received Form RHW12. Keep a copy of the signed receipt alongside the notice in your compliance file.

Method 2: Post

Post the notice to the dwelling or the contract-holder's last known address, or leave it at the property. First-class post is deemed served on the second business day after posting (excluding Sundays and bank holidays).

Example: You post the notice on Friday 4 September 2026. Saturday and Sunday are not business days. The second business day after posting is Tuesday 8 September. Deemed service: 8 September. The two-month notice period runs from that date.

Best practice: Use first-class post and obtain a Certificate of Posting from the Post Office counter. This is free and creates a dated, stamped record of posting. Recorded delivery provides proof of delivery but is not required.

Method 3: Email

Electronic service is legally valid only if the contract-holder has explicitly agreed in writing to receive statutory notices by email, naming the specific email address. Section 237(4) imposes three conditions:

1. The contract-holder's prior written consent to electronic service, specifying the email address.
2. The document must be in a format the recipient can read, print and store (PDF attachment is safest).
3. A certified electronic signature if required by regulations.

A generic clause in the written statement saying "notices may be served by email" is not sufficient unless the contract-holder individually consented in writing.

If the conditions are met, email is deemed served on the day of transmission — provided it was sent before 16:30 on a business day. After 16:30, deemed service rolls to the next business day.

Best practice: Keep a copy of the written consent document, the sent email with headers and the attached Form RHW12 PDF. If there is any doubt about whether consent was properly obtained, serve by post or hand delivery instead.

Serving Joint Contract-Holders

If there are two or more joint contract-holders named on the written statement, each one must be served individually. A single copy left on the kitchen table does not satisfy Section 237 for the contract-holder who did not see it. Serve a separate copy on each person — with separate proof of service for each.

Building a Service Log

A service log records when, how and to whom you delivered the notice. It should include:

• The date and time of service (or posting)
• The method used
• The name of the contract-holder served
• The evidence retained (receipt, Certificate of Posting, email headers)
• The calculated deemed service date

The Wales Rent Increase Guide includes a Section 237 service log template and the date calculation worksheet that works backwards from your target effective date to the latest safe service date.

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