Landlord/Agency Registration and Licensing

Rent Smart Wales

It is a legal obligation, under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, for all landlords who have rental property in Wales to register with Rent Smart Wales. 

Rent Smart Wales is in place to make sure that both the addresses and the landlords of all private rented property in Wales are named on a central register. In addition, self-managing landlords and agents who let and manage property must have a licence. In order to get a licence, people must be trained in their rights and responsibilities when renting out property to tenants. 

Landlord Registration

Any landlord who has a rental property in Wales is required to register. Depending on how a property is owned will determine who needs to register it. All registrations are done with Rent Smart Wales.

Landlord Licensing

Landlords who are not involved in setting up tenancies and managing their rental properties do not need a licence; however they must use a local licensed agent and register as a landlord declaring their agent on the registration. Landlords who do undertake letting and management tasks at their rental properties in Wales are required to apply for a licence. Such landlords are often described as 'self-managing'.

        
Landlords who self-manage their properties in Wales must apply for a licence. This is in addition to having to register. A landlord who undertakes any of the following at a property in Wales needs a licence:

• arranging or conducting viewings with prospective tenants;
• gathering evidence for the purpose of establishing the suitability of prospective tenants (for example, by confirming character references, undertaking credit checks or interviewing a prospective tenant);
• preparing, or arranging the preparation, of a tenancy agreement;
• preparing, or arranging the preparation, of an inventory for the dwelling or schedule of condition for the dwelling.
• Landlord Property Management Activities:
• collecting rent;
• being the principal point of contact for the tenant in relation to matters arising under the tenancy;
• making arrangements with a person to carry out repairs or maintenance;
• making arrangements with a tenant or occupier of the dwelling to secure access to the dwelling for any purpose;
• checking the contents or condition of the dwelling, or arranging for them to be checked as part of a current tenancy or for one which has ended;
• serving notice to terminate a tenancy

Any person doing any of the above, but on behalf of a landlord at a property they are not a landlord for, needs an agent licence.

Agents

Under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, there are legal obligations on agents who undertake letting and management work at rental properties in Wales on behalf of landlords. In order to act as an agent in Wales, the individual or company must become licensed.

Agent licensing

People and companies who let and manage rental properties in Wales on behalf of landlords are called agents. An agent could be a family member of the landlord, a friend or a commercial agent. The aim of the new law is to ensure that people and companies looking after the day-to-day letting and management of domestic tenancies in Wales are suitable to do so and are trained in their obligations. 

Part of the agent licensing requirement is that the person applying for a licence, or the staff of the company applying for a licence must complete approved agent training.

If you have concerns about the conduct or your landlord or agent who is licensed by Rent Smart Wales you can report this via the Rent Smart Wales contact us page and they will investigate.

You can check that your landlord is registered and the person who lets and manages the property is licensed, by checking the public register and searching by property address, landlord's name, agent's name or the appropriate reference number. If you do not find what you are looking for, you can contact Rent Smart Wales directly.

If you have been shown a licence card and are unsure if it is genuine, click here to compare with an original template. If you still think the licence card you have been shown is not genuine, you can contact Rent Smart Wales.

If you think that your landlord and/or rental address are not registered, or if you think the person dealing with the letting of the property, you report your concerns here.