Guidance Note: Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019

This Guidance Note: Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 is for Residential Landlords and Lettings Agents in Wales. This Act (in force 01 September 2019) bans several fees (including letting fees) from being charged to a tenant.

Any breach of the Act is an offence and is prosecutable in the magistrates’ court and the offender will be liable to a fine. The enforcement authority may offer the offender a civil penalty of £1,000 as an alternative but this is entirely at its discretion.

This Guidance Note summarises the key provisions of the Act; which tenancies are affected, which payments can be charged to a tenant and which are prohibited, the rules on holding deposits and the penalties and consequences for non-compliance.

This Guidance has been updated to incorporate the following requirements; (1) relating to holding deposits in Wales from the 28 February 2020, set out in The Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Holding Deposit) (Specified Information) (Wales) Regulations 2019; and (2) default fees from the [28 April 2020], set out in the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Prescribed Limits of Default Payments) (Wales) Regulations 2020.  

This Guidance Note also looks at the practical steps a landlord and/or letting agent can take to ensure compliance with the legislation.

This Guidance is duplicated in the Estate Agents Terms and Conditions group of documents.

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