Landlord Registration: Rent Smart Wales

Landlord Registration: Rent Smart Wales

October, 2018

Since 23^rd November 2015 every landlord must register with Rent Smart Wales in order to comply with the law.

A landlord must complete the registration themselves, an agent or another person who is not the landlord cannot do it on their behalf. Register now via the following link:

https://www.rentsmart.gov.wales/en/security/login/?fdReturnURL

A landlord registration costs £33.50 if completed on-line and £80.50 if done on a paper application form. This is the cost for each landlord registration, no matter how many rental properties in Wales are included.

If you use our Swift Property Services Management Package, please pass over your registration number and that is the landlord registration completed.

If you are a self-managing landlord you will also need to apply for a licence. The licence fee costs £144 for an online application or £186 for a paper application. You will also need to pay for a training course. 

The training that a landlord must do in order to obtain a licence can either be done directly with Rent Smart Wales, or an approved course can be completed with a training provider authorised by Rent Smart Wales. 

Following the training you will sit a test.

The landlord licence lasts for 5 years. The landlord must always adhere to the Code of Practice during this time.

The definition of letting and management activities carried out by a landlord for which they must have a licence:

If a landlord undertakes any of the following at a rental property in Wales for which they are a landlord, they must obtain a licence.

Landlord Letting Activities:

• arranging or conducting viewings with prospective contract holders;
• gathering evidence for the purpose of establishing the suitability of prospective contract holders (for example, by confirming character references, undertaking credit checks or interviewing a prospective contract holder);
• preparing, or arranging the preparation, of an occupation contract;
• 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 contract holder in relation to matters arising under the occupation contract;
• making arrangements with a person to carry out repairs or maintenance;
• making arrangements with a contract holder 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 occupation contract or for one which has ended;
• serving notice to terminate an occupation contract.