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Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (the Act) received Royal Assent earlier this week. The Act is one of the most significant pieces of legislation to be passed by the National Assembly for Wales and it will directly affect the lives of over one million people who rent their home in Wales.
The Act will make it simpler and easier to rent a home, replacing various and complex pieces of existing legislation with one clear legal framework.
At the heart of the Act are the new 'occupation contracts'. With a limited number of exceptions, the Act replaces all current tenancies and licences with just two types of occupation contract:
Once implemented, the Act will require landlords to issue a written statement of the occupation contract which clearly sets out the rights and responsibilities of landlords and those renting from them.
A minimum six-month occupation period will be maintained by the Act and landlords will have to ensure the property is fit for human habitation. The Act will also help protect people from being evicted simply for complaining about the condition of a property.
The Act will enable landlords to repossess an abandoned property without needing a court order, enabling the property to be re-let more quickly.
