Landlord Licensing
A regulation was introduced in Wales which applies to all landlords and agents of private residential property. The regulations became enforceable by Rent Smart Wales (RSW) on 23 November 2016, requiring landlords and agents to comply with the new legislation, licensing those who deal with letting and management activities of properties within the private rented sector.
A regulation was introduced in Wales which applies to all landlords and agents of private residential property. The regulations became enforceable by Rent Smart Wales (RSW) on 23 November 2016, requiring landlords and agents to comply with the new legislation, licensing those who deal with letting and management activities of properties within the private rented sector.
Landlords and agents of property in Wales are required by law to be registered or licensed.
This legislation ensures:
- Improved standards of letting and management practice in the private rented sector in Wales
- More information on landlords available for tenant verification and for local authorities to assist with strategic intervention and dissemination of information
- Raised awareness by landlords and agents of their respective rights and responsibilities and raised awareness by tenants of their respective rights and responsibilities.
Rent Smart Wales (RSW) is based within Cardiff Council, with local authorities being responsible for any necessary enforcement action against non-compliance under the RSW regulation.
Landlord Registration
Any landlord who has a rental property in Wales which is rented on either an assured, assured shorthold or regulated tenancy is required to register with RSW regardless of they choose to self manage or use an agent. Depending on how a property is owned will determine who needs to register (for example: sole owner, joint owner, partnership etc). For further information on landlord registration or to begin your registration application please visit Rent Smart Wales
Landlord Licensing
Landlords who wish to undertake letting and management tasks of their rental properties in Wales, they must first live within 200 miles of the rental property and will be required to apply for a license from RSW. Such landlords are often described as 'self-managing', and once again further information on landlord license requirements or to begin your application please visit Rent Smart Wales
If your property is managed by Dawsons, you need NOT worry
As a market leading letting agent, Dawsons began to prepare for this change in January of 2015. Therefore ensuring our already knowledgeable and experienced staff are fully compliant and able to assist our clients at all stages of the letting process. This requirement along with several others such as: client money protection, and affiliation to a recognised redress scheme, ensured Dawsons was amongst the very first licensed agents in Wales.
Our forward thinking and interaction, ensures our managed landlords can rest assured their requirements, their tenants and of course their property will always remain in safe hands.
Whilst Dawsons will be the license holder that you connect to your managed rental property as a landlord you will still need to ensure you are registered to comply with legislation.
The requirement of LANDLORD REGISTRATION, can be completed on line by visiting www.rentsmart.gov.wales or by requesting a paper form to complete by calling 03000 133344. If you have any queries or require any assistance, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of our staff at any of our local branches who will be delighted to help where we can.
Do you manage your own property? Don’t worry, Dawsons can help.
Many self managing landlords once aware of the requirements by Rent Smart Wales will decide it is the ideal time to approach a local and trusted letting agent for additional information. Taking this into account, we at Dawsons have prepared for this very eventuality, to begin the process of property management on their behalf, thus dealing with all of the licensing requirements. For this advice, and to discover the many benefits and services of being a Dawsons landlord, please visit or call one of our 5 dedicated offices.
For those landlords who wish to continue with self management and wish to obtain a landlords license with RSW, you will need to undertake some form of training, whether this be online or a classroom based course we can assist you.
Dawsons Training Wales is a RSW approved training provider and offers the most affordable and simplified course available, being established in early 2019 our course is also up to date with all current legislation. To access further information or to partake in on our training courses please visit www.dawsonstrainingwales.co.uk