Housing (Wales) Act 2014

Valid from 23/11/2015

1 Overview of this Part E+W

(1) This Part regulates—

(a) the letting of dwellings under certain kinds of tenancy (which are defined as “domestic tenancies” in section 2), and

(b) the management of dwellings subject to such tenancies,

by means of a system of registration and licensing.

(2) It requires landlords to be—

(a) registered for each dwelling subject to, or marketed or offered for let under, a domestic tenancy in respect of which they are the landlord (section 4), subject to exceptions (section 5);

(b) licensed to carry out certain kinds of lettings activities for dwellings marketed or offered for let under domestic tenancies (section 6), subject to exceptions (section 8);

(c) licensed to carry out certain kinds of property management activities for dwellings subject to a domestic tenancy (section 7), subject to exceptions (section 8).

(3) It requires persons acting on behalf of a landlord to be licensed to carry out—

(a) lettings work in respect of a dwelling marketed or offered for let under a domestic tenancy (section 9);

(b) property management work in respect of a dwelling subject to a domestic tenancy (section 11).

(4) “Lettings work” and “property management work” are defined for the purposes of the Part in sections 10 and 12; the definitions exclude certain persons and activities from the licensing requirements imposed on persons acting on behalf of landlords.

(5) The system of registration and licensing is to be administered and enforced by a person designated by the Welsh Ministers as the licensing authority for the whole of Wales or by different persons designated as licensing authorities for different areas within Wales (section 3); provision is also made for local housing authorities to exercise certain enforcement powers.

(6) Sections 14 to 17 and Schedule 1 provide for a register to be established and maintained by the licensing authority and for registration generally.

(7) Sections 18 to 27 provide for licences generally; and

(a) a licensing authority may only grant two kinds of licence (one for landlords and the other for persons acting on behalf of landlords) and licences have effect in respect of the area for which a licensing authority is responsible (section 18);

(b) in order to be licensed a person must meet certain criteria, including being a fit and proper person (section 20) and requirements relating to training (see section 19).

(8) The requirements imposed by this Part are enforced by—

(a) offences for contravention of registration and licensing requirements (see sections referred to in subsections (2) and (3) and sections 16(3), 23(3), 38(1) and (4) and 39(1) and (2));

(b) fixed penalty notices (section 29);

(c) rent stopping orders (sections 30 and 31);

(d) rent repayment orders (sections 32 and 33).

(9) Sections 36 to 39 make provision about information required or given for the purposes of this Part.

(10) Section 40 provides for the Welsh Ministers to issue a code of practice and provision is made for guidance (section 41) and directions (section 42).

(11) Sections 43 to 48 make supplementary provision.

(12) Section 49 makes further provision about interpretation and indexes the defined terms used in this Part.