A major amendment has been made to the regulations requiring landlords in Wales to provide prospective tenants with written details about their proposed rental “contract” or tenancy agreement.
Pressure for the change came from the Residential Landlords’ Association (RLA) which had objected to a requirement that any landlord provides his or her name, home address, telephone number and email to a prospective tenant. The RLA announced its victory in a press release dated the 10th of December.
Before a holding deposit is taken, a landlord or the relevant letting agent needs to inform prospective tenants about the contents of the tenancy agreement, including:
- the identity of the dwelling to be let;
- the nature and duration of the contract or agreement;
- the rental period;
- the rent charged;
- the proposed date of occupation;
- the amounts of any holding deposit and security deposit;
- whether any rental guarantor is needed;
- the references the landlord will be taking up;
- the information the tenant is required to provide to the landlord; and
- any additional terms and conditions of the proposed contract or tenancy agreement.
The concession secured by the RLA means that landlords no longer have to divulge their home address as part of their “contact details” but may instead give a business address (such as their letting agent).
The Welsh Assembly has incorporated the amended requirements into the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Holding Deposit) (Specified Information) (Wales) Regulations 2019 (the “Replacement Regulations”), which it believes will help tenants to make a better-informed decision about accepting any tenancy before handing over their holding deposit.
