Data from agents’ body Propertymark suggests that landlords who failed to register or obtain the correct licence accounted for almost all of the 3,198 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued by Rent Smart Wales in the 12 months to May 2026.

All private landlords renting out domestic property in Wales must register with Rent Smart Wales and either employ a licensed agent or become licensed to manage the property themselves.

The letting agents’ body points out that being registered does not automatically mean that a landlord is licensed. 

Equally, appointing a letting agent does not remove the landlord’s responsibility to keep their registration details accurate and up to date.

Propertymark says these distinctions may explain why hiccups in these processes catch out many landlords, who may believe that completing one part of the process covers all their obligations or may not realise that action is needed when their circumstances change.

The body says that therefore before marketing or managing a property, the agent should confirm that the landlord and property are correctly registered and establish who will carry out the letting and management work. 

The person or business undertaking that work must hold the appropriate licence.

Agents are also told to keep evidence of the checks made, including relevant reference numbers, expiry dates and copies of confirmation documents. 

These records should be reviewed periodically rather than retained without further checks for the whole client relationship.

Where information is missing or inconsistent, agents should ask the landlord to resolve the issue before carrying out regulated work.

It adds: “Agents should also make sure that responses to requests for information are complete and accurate. 

“Firms managing large portfolios may benefit from regularly comparing their property management system with Rent Smart Wales records. 

“This can identify properties that have been sold, newly acquired, or transferred between agents but have not yet been updated on the register.

“The average approval time is four weeks for a landlord licence and over six weeks for an agent licence. 

“Applications should therefore be submitted early enough to allow for processing and any requests for further information.”