A lettings agency chief is operating a course to help landlords meet new requirements imposed by the Welsh Government.
Landlords in Wales have until May 31 to issue any tenants whose tenancies existed prior to December 1 2023 with a ‘written statement’ setting out the terms of the occupation contracts to which all tenancies automatically converted on December 1 2022.
If a landlord fails to provide a written statement by May 31, their tenants will be entitled to claim compensation from them in the form of a day’s rent for each day they are left without a written statement. The landlord will also be unable to serve notice on their tenants for six months, after which they have to give six months’ notice.
While the Welsh Government has provided a model written statement, it will need to be adapted for most tenancies to reflect the unique terms of each agreement that existed prior to the change – and this can be a complicated process according to Hannah McCartan, founder of The Landlord Community, which provides compliance training and advice for landlords.
Her course, Compliance Training for Welsh Landlords, is free to anyone who signs up to The Landlord Community.
It will brief landlords on all the new requirements brought in by The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which commenced fully on December 1 2022. It will cover rent increases, serving notice, succession rights, written statements, new property safety standards including electrical safety, carbon monoxide alarms, and smoke alarms, and how to start a tenancy.
With the May 31 deadline looming, it will also provide the option to purchase a downloadable universal written statement to make the process easier.
McCarton runs Swansea lettings agency McCartan Lettings and has worked in the sector for more than two decades.
She set up her own company at the age of 26 and has worked with tens of thousands of tenants and landlords since then. She is also a landlord trainer.
“I know how landlords are feeling right now because I’m a landlord too” she says.
“With the written statement deadline looming, many landlords are still confused about what they need to do and how to do it. This course demystifies The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, helping landlords to ensure they’re fully compliant – and it will give them everything they need to be able to issue a written statement by the May 31 deadline. The training, actions and tips I provide in this course are the ones I’m using for my own properties and for my own agency.
“My mission is to help all landlords with their compliance training needs, in a no nonsense easy-to-implement way.”
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Best thing that Welsh landlords can do is get out as soon as they can.
There is more hoops to jump through before the December deadline, with regard to smoke alarms and electrical certificates.
The new legislation effectively gives nearly all rights to tenants and it will take an inordinate amount of time to get rid of non-payers.
People interested in investing in buy to let in Wales would need their heads examined to be honest.
Rent (not so) Smart Wales, need to justify their existence, so expect a raft of even more punishing legislation for landlords, coming down the line.
Very soon, it will be made illegal to get rid of tenants and be able to sell your assets.
Coming to an area near you in England, after the next election.
F in hope not. Man the barricades.,
Apparently, Starmer thinks that Drakeford has done a sterling job in Wales and would be looking to emulate this when he gets into power.
Devolution has turned out to be the worst thing that could ever have happened to Wales, as we have a bunch of communist inspired cretins running the show in Cardiff.
Lots of new taxes in the pipeline to relieve us of our undeserved wealth.
English people, who foot the bill did not vote for this and my guess is this legislation is illegal !
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