Where to Download RHW Notice Forms for Wales Landlords
For notices that the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 requires or authorizes in a prescribed form, use the relevant form or one "substantially to the same effect" under the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022. An English Housing Act form (Section 21 or Section 8) cannot replace the Welsh notice required by the Act, and using the wrong RHW form can invalidate a notice.
The official source is one page on the Welsh Government website.
The Official Download Page
All prescribed RHW forms are available free at the Welsh Government's Renting homes: forms for landlords page on gov.wales. The page lists every form by number and title, with a direct PDF download for each.
The forms most private landlords need:
| Form | Purpose | Notice Period |
|---|---|---|
| RHW16 | No-fault termination, periodic standard contract outside Schedule 8A, other than introductory or prohibited conduct contracts | 6 months |
| RHW17 | No-fault termination, Schedule 8A periodic contracts other than introductory or prohibited conduct contracts (use RHW18 for those) | 2 months |
| RHW20 | Serious rent arrears, except introductory or prohibited conduct contracts (use RHW21 for those) | 14 days |
| RHW23 | Breach of contract, ASB, estate management, or failure to leave after a contract-holder's notice | 1 month (0 days for ASB; no waiting period for failure to leave) |
| RHW24 | Landlord break clause, fixed-term eligible for the six-month minimum period (usually ≥ 2 years; Schedule 9C has exceptions) | 6 months |
| RHW25 | Landlord break clause for a fixed-term contract within Schedule 8A or a converted contract with an existing break clause | 2 months |
| RHW27 | Abandonment warning notice | 4 weeks |
| RHW28 | Abandonment termination (after unanswered RHW27) | Immediate |
| RHW2 | Notice of landlord's address for service | Within 14 days of occupation |
| RHW19 | Withdrawal of Section 173 notice | N/A |
| RHW38 | Notice to end a converted fixed-term standard contract outside Schedule 9B | At least 2 months, and the specified date must be at least 6 months after the occupation date; give it before or on the last day of the term |
You can also find the model written statements on the same gov.wales portal under the occupation contracts section.
Avoiding Outdated or Wrong Forms
Three common mistakes with form downloads:
Using an English form. Section 21 and Section 8 notices under the Housing Act 1988 have no legal effect in Wales. They were replaced entirely when the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 commenced on 1 December 2022. If a legal template site offers you a "Section 21 notice" for a Welsh property, it is the wrong form.
Using a pre-commencement draft. The prescribed forms went through consultation versions before the final regulations were made. If you downloaded an RHW form before December 2022, check that it matches the current version on gov.wales. The forms carry a regulation reference (S.I. 2022/244) — verify it is present.
Using a commercial template that modifies the wording. The regulations require that the form be the prescribed form or "substantially to the same effect." A form with additional clauses, altered wording, or missing statutory warnings may not meet this test. Downloading the official PDF from gov.wales is the safest approach.
What the Forms Do Not Tell You
The government forms are blank templates. They tell you which boxes to fill in — the contract-holder's name, the property address, the possession date — but they do not tell you:
- Whether you have satisfied the Schedule 9A preconditions (written statement, deposit protection, Rent Smart Wales licence, safety certificates) that must be in place before you can validly serve a no-fault notice
- How to calculate the notice period using clear days rules
- Which form applies to your specific contract type (periodic, fixed-term, converted, Schedule 8A)
That mapping between your situation and the right form is what trips most landlords up. The form itself is free; understanding which one to use and when you are legally able to serve it is the hard part.
Our Ending an Occupation Contract in Wales guide provides a form selection protocol alongside a pre-service compliance audit, so you fill in the right form at the right time — after verifying that every legal prerequisite is met.
Get Your Free Wales Possession Notice Checklist
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