Frequently Asked Questions - Renting Homes (Wales) Act
- In 2016, the Senedd passed the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to make it easier for landlords and tenants to rent a home in Wales
- This new law applies to both social landlords (like United Welsh) and private landlords
- The Act is the biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades and has been planned by Welsh Government for a while
- The changes brought by the Act have been scrutinised by tenant organisations such as TPAS Cymru and Shelter Cymru.
- To make it easier to rent a home in Wales
- To improve the condition of rental homes across Wales
- To improve consistency of standards, whether you live in a home rented from a community landlord or a home rented from a private landlord
- To give people living in rented homes and landlords’ better security
- The Act will apply from 1st December 2022 onwards.
- Read your new contract and familiarise yourself with it. Your contract will explain what you can and can’t do as a tenant, and what United Welsh can and can’t do as a landlord.
- If you already live in a home provided by United Welsh, you will receive your Occupation Contract within six months of 1st December 2022. This contract replaces your Tenancy Agreement
- For people moving into a United Welsh home after 1st December 2022, you will sign your new contract and receive a copy within 14 days.
- We would like to send your contract and all documents to you electronically in future. This is because we are reducing our carbon footprint and printing less paper is better for the environment. It also saves money on print and postage, which can be reinvested into providing quicker, better services for you.
- To give us permission, please call us on 0330 159 6080 then press 3, or talk to us on web-chat (click the blue circle icon bottom right of your screen). You can also give permission through this short form.
- “Tenants” will be known as “Contract Holders”
- “Tenancy Agreements” will become “Occupation Contracts”
- You will have more succession rights. This means in some circumstances, you can pass your home or contract onto other people after your death. For example, you can ask for your home to be passed onto your partner.
- You can ask us to add someone to your contract who you want to live with as a joint contract holder. You don’t have to start a new contract to request this.
- A consistent approach to anti-social behaviour
- No, you will pay your rent in the usual way.
