# Working in Wales - housing and landlord regulations
If you treat renting in Wales like renting in England, you're going to give people the wrong answers. The law for landlords and tenants in Wales has been rebuilt from the ground up, and it doesn't match the English system.
This matters to you if you work for landlords, agents, or social landlords on anything from EICRs and alarms through to refurbs and compliance jobs.
1. Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 - new framework, new language
In England you've got the classic Housing Act 1988 model: ASTs, section 21, section 8. In Wales, that world has effectively been replaced.
Key shift:
- Wales runs on the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
- It uses occupation contracts, not "tenancy agreements" in the old English sense.
- Lots of the nuts and bolts are different: notice periods, grounds for possession, standard vs supplementary vs additional terms in contracts, landlord repair and safety duties.
For SiteKiln: if a guide is written around English landlord law and talks in detail about "section 21" and standard AST wording, that's not the rules Welsh landlords live under now.
2. Landlord obligations - similar ideas, different detail
The themes are the same either side of the border: safe home, fair contract, proper notice. But the detail in Wales doesn't always match England.
In Wales:
- The legal documents are occupation contracts, with a set structure and certain terms that must be included or can't be removed.
- Notice periods and eviction routes don't line up neatly with English section 21 / section 8 playbooks.
- There are specific duties on fitness for human habitation, repairs and safety that sit inside the Renting Homes system.
For you as a contractor:
Don't assume that a landlord-facing guide about "how much notice you need" or "what has to go in a tenancy" applies in Wales just because it's "UK property content."
If a Welsh landlord client asks you to comment on legal rights or notice periods, your safest line is:
"Wales has its own Renting Homes rules now - your agent or solicitor needs to confirm the legal side. I can help you with the safety and compliance work, not the paperwork detail."
3. EICRs, alarms and English PRS guidance - handle with care in Wales
A lot of compliance chat online is written for the English private rented sector (PRS). It talks about:
- EICRs every 5 years under English PRS rules
- Smoke and CO alarm standards framed around English regulations
- "Landlord obligations" that assume an English tenancy
In Wales, those English references may not line up:
- The Renting Homes (Wales) framework bakes in its own safety and repair duties.
- Welsh Government has its own guidance around fitness and safety.
- Timings, standards or terminology can be different compared to England.
For you:
When a Welsh job involves "making a rental compliant," don't lean on English PRS crib sheets alone. Ask the managing agent or landlord:
"Are you working to the Welsh Renting Homes rules? Send me your compliance checklist and I'll price the work against that."
4. WHQS vs English Decent Homes - social housing split
If you work for housing associations or councils, the gap widens again.
In England: social landlords talk about the Decent Homes Standard, plus whatever local standards their organisation has layered on.
In Wales: social landlords are driven by the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS). WHQS sets its own bar for the quality, safety and condition of social homes in Wales. Specs, targets and upgrade expectations can differ from what an English housing association is asking for.
Your move:
On every framework, void or refurb job, ask the client's surveyor or clerk of works:
- "Which standard are we working to - WHQS or Decent Homes or something else?"
- "Can you send your technical standard so we're pricing apples with apples?"
If they say "Decent Homes" on a Welsh HA project, gently push back - you should be hearing WHQS instead.
Questions to ask Welsh landlord clients before you price
Use this any time you're dealing with a rented property in Wales - especially if you're used to English PRS work.
1. Confirm it's a Welsh rental, not just "a rental"
"Just to confirm, this property is in Wales, right?"
"Is it let under the Renting Homes (Wales) system - i.e. you've got an occupation contract, not an old-style AST?"
You're not playing lawyer. You just want to park in your own mind that this is Welsh law, not English Housing Act territory.
2. Who's managing, and what framework are they using?
"Are you managing this yourself, or is there a letting agent involved?"
"Do you or they have a written compliance checklist for Welsh rentals you want me to work to?"
If there's an agent, you want them owning the legal side and handing you a list: EICR requirements, alarm standards, any specific "fitness for habitation" items. Your job is to deliver the work, not design the legal standard from scratch.
3. What are you actually asking me to make "compliant"?
"When you say you want it 'brought up to standard,' what does that mean in your words?"
"Is this about electrics, fire/CO alarms, general repairs, damp, or all of the above?"
"Are you following a particular Welsh Government or agent checklist?"
Turn woolly "make it compliant" into a clear scope you can price: EICR and remedials, new smoke and CO alarms, fire doors, repairs to keep it fit for occupation.
4. Any paperwork you can see now?
"Can you send me the last EICR or gas safety / alarm report?"
"Have you had any council inspections or improvement notices I need to see?"
"Has anyone mentioned fitness for human habitation under Renting Homes (Wales)?"
Red flag: a Welsh rental with zero paperwork and a vague "I just want it all legal now." That's fine as a job, but you price it with that risk in mind and make your scope crystal clear.
5. How do they want you to reference the law in paperwork?
"Do you want my quote and invoice to just reference the works done, or do you want me to name the legal standard?"
If they say "yes, put the law on it," bounce it back:
"Tell me exactly what wording you want on there for your records, and I'll copy that."
That way you're not guessing at legal phrases from Renting Homes (Wales), and you avoid writing something that gets waved around in a dispute.
6. If it's social housing - check which standard
"Are we working to WHQS or another standard?"
"Can you send your technical standard or spec document so I can price the right level?"
Pin this up: the one-pager
Before you price a landlord job in Wales, ask:
- Is this in Wales and under Renting Homes (Wales)?
- Who manages it - landlord or agent - and do they have a checklist?
- What exactly do you want: EICR, alarms, repairs, damp, or all of it?
- Can I see any existing reports or council letters now?
- What wording do you want on my paperwork about legal standards?
- If social housing: are we working to WHQS and can I see the spec?
Run that every time and you stay in your lane: handle the physical work, let them own the legal side.
What to do next
- Read: Working in Wales - building regulations differences
- Read: Working in Wales - planning rules
- Read: Working in Wales - environmental regulations and waste
- Read: Guide 6.1 - Public liability insurance
Sources (UK)
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 - occupation contracts, landlord duties, Welsh tenancy framework.
- Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) - social housing quality and safety standard for Wales.
- English PRS Regulations (2020) - EICR requirements for England (not directly applicable in Wales).
- Welsh Government housing guidance - fitness for habitation, safety, compliance in Welsh rentals.
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