Wales New Landlord Compliance Guide: Occupation Contracts, Documents and Deadlines

The Rules Are Different in Wales

If you have inherited a property, kept a former home after relocating, or bought a place for a family member that is now being let, you are a landlord under Welsh law — and the rules you need to follow are not the same as in England. Since 1 December 2022, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 has governed residential lettings within its scope in Wales. Assured Shorthold Tenancies no longer exist here. Instead, you issue an occupation contract, and a strict compliance sequence applies from the day you decide to let.

Most private landlords in Wales manage one or two properties. The legislation does not distinguish between a portfolio landlord and someone letting a single flat. The statutory duties, penalties, and deadlines are identical.

Register and Get Licensed Before You Let

Every private landlord owning residential property in Wales must register with Rent Smart Wales under Part 1 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. Registration alone is not enough if you intend to manage the property yourself — you also need a landlord licence, which requires completing an approved training course.

If you appoint a fully managed letting agent, that agent must hold a valid Rent Smart Wales agent licence, but you still need to be registered as the property owner and name the agent on the public register.

An unregistered landlord or an unlicensed self-managing landlord cannot serve a valid notice under section 173 (no-fault) or section 186 (fixed-term end). Possession proceedings based on such an invalid notice will be struck out.

Prepare the Property to Statutory Standards

Before anyone moves in, the dwelling must be fit for human habitation under the Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022. The practical checklist:

• Energy Performance Certificate — minimum rating E, provided to the contract-holder before occupation.
• Gas Safety Certificate — current, delivered before occupation and renewed annually.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — conducted within the last 5 years, provided within 14 days of the occupation date.
• Interlinked smoke alarms — mains-powered, on every storey.
• Carbon monoxide alarms — in every room with a gas, oil, or solid-fuel appliance.

A dwelling missing a required EICR, gas safety certificate, or compliant interlinked smoke alarms is statutorily unfit. Rent does not accrue for any day the dwelling remains unfit, and the contract-holder is entitled to a statutory set-off against any rent claim.

Choose the Right Contract Model

Private landlords in Wales issue a standard occupation contract, which comes in two forms:

• Periodic standard contract — a rolling agreement that continues month-to-month or week-to-week with no fixed end date. This is the default for most private lettings.
• Fixed-term standard contract — an agreement for a set duration (commonly 6 or 12 months). When the fixed term expires without renewal, the contract becomes periodic automatically.

The Welsh Government publishes official model written statements for both types. The versions updated on 29 May 2026 are the ones you must use — they include the anti-discrimination fundamental terms under Sections 54A and 54B that took effect on 1 June 2026.

What the Written Statement Must Include

The written statement is not a summary or leaflet. It is the binding document setting out every term of the occupation contract. Under section 31 of the Act, you must deliver a complete written statement to your contract-holder within 14 days of the occupation date. It must contain:

• Key Matters — names of both parties, property address, occupation date, rent amount, payment frequency, and contract type.
• Fundamental terms — the mandatory statutory provisions. Some are unalterable (anti-social behaviour, anti-discrimination). Others can be modified only if the change benefits the contract-holder.
• Supplementary terms — operational provisions from the Renting Homes (Supplementary Provisions) (Wales) Regulations 2022, covering utility responsibility, disrepair notification, lock changes, and long absences. These can be varied by agreement.
• Additional terms — any bespoke clauses you and the contract-holder agree on, such as pet permissions, garden maintenance, or smoking restrictions. These must comply with consumer fairness rules under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Alongside the written statement, you must serve Form RHW2 (Notice of Landlord's Address) within the same 14-day window.

The Documents You Need Ready on Day One

Here is the minimum set of documents and forms a new landlord in Wales needs before or at the start of a letting:

1. Rent Smart Wales registration confirmation and landlord licence (or licensed agent appointment).
2. The correct model written statement (periodic or fixed-term), completed with all Key Matters and terms.
3. Form RHW2 — your address for service in England or Wales.
4. Current Gas Safety Certificate.
5. EICR conducted within the last 5 years.
6. Energy Performance Certificate (rating E or above).
7. Deposit protection certificate and Prescribed Information — if you take a security deposit, it must be protected in an authorised scheme within 30 days and the statutory Prescribed Information issued within the same period.

Missing any of these creates specific legal consequences. Missing the written statement triggers compensation under Section 87 — one day's rent for each day late, up to two months' rent.

Protect the Deposit Correctly

If you take a security deposit, you must protect it in a government-authorised tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days of receiving it and serve the statutory Prescribed Information within the same 30 days. The three authorised schemes operating in Wales are the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), mydeposits, and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).

Failure to protect within 30 days or to serve the Prescribed Information bars you from serving a no-fault notice to recover possession.

Keep Proof of Everything

The legislation creates specific financial penalties for late or missing documentation. Section 87 compensation for a late written statement is calculated mechanically — one day's rent per day of delay. In a dispute, you need to prove the date you delivered the statement.

Maintain a written certificate of service, recorded delivery receipts, or a signed acknowledgment from the contract-holder confirming the date they received each document. If you have joint contract-holders, each one must receive their own copy of the written statement and Form RHW2, and you need proof of delivery for each.

One Guide, Every Step

The Occupation Contracts in Wales guide walks through the entire compliance sequence from Rent Smart Wales registration through written statement delivery and ongoing obligations. It includes a dated compliance checklist, a delivery receipt log, and the term classification reference — everything a new or accidental landlord in Wales needs to get the first letting right without paying an agent or solicitor for routine compliance.

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