Upcoming deadline for Landlords in Wales
Landlords and agents in Wales will now be aware of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 which was implemented in Wales on 01 December 2022; it in effect changed the scope landlords and agents operate and it represented the biggest change in housing law for decades.
There were a number of new Regulations which came into force on the implementation date, notably all properties must comply with the Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022. These Regulations include an important upcoming deadline for all landlords of converted occupation contracts; for the avoidance of doubt, a converted occupation contract is an assured shorthold tenancy in existence before 01 December 2022 which automatically converted into an occupation contract pursuant to the new legislation on the implementation date.
Before 01 December 2023, all landlords of converted occupation contracts must:
- Ensure that they have a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and
- Ensure that a working smoke alarm is installed on each storey of the dwelling. Such alarms must be connected to the dwelling’s electrical supply and linked to every other smoke alarm in the dwelling which is connected to the electrical supply and
- Ensure that a working carbon monoxide alarm is in each room of the dwelling which contained a gas appliance, an oil-fired combustion appliance or a solid fuel burning combustion appliance.
These Regulations seek to safeguard the safety of occupants in privately rented dwellings and with only a few weeks to go until the upcoming deadline, we recommend that steps are taken to meet these legislative requirements. Failure to comply will result in properties being deemed unfit for human habitation and costly fines imposed. Further, failure to comply will affect the validity of any landlord’s notice for possession if served and will in effect cause significant delay with the possession process.
If you are a landlord or agent and you would like to discuss ongoing compliance with the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 or the Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, please do not hesitate to contact the Civil Litigation team on 01792 455400.