As the Welsh Government imposes new requirements on landlords, a lettings agency chief is providing a course to help them comply with these regulations. Landlords in Wales have until May 31 to provide tenants with tenancies predating December 1, 2023, with a ‘written statement’ detailing the terms of their occupation contracts, which automatically converted on December 1, 2022.

Failure to issue a written statement by the deadline could result in tenants claiming compensation in the form of a day’s rent for each day without a statement. Additionally, landlords will be unable to serve notice on tenants for six months, after which they must give six months’ notice.

The Welsh Government has provided a model written statement, but most tenancies will require customisation to reflect the unique terms of each agreement before the change. Hannah McCartan, founder of The Landlord Community, says this can be a complex process. Her organisation offers compliance training and advice for landlords.

The course, titled Compliance Training for Welsh Landlords, is available for free to anyone who joins The Landlord Community. It will educate landlords on the new requirements introduced by The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which took full effect on December 1, 2022. Topics covered include rent increases, serving notice, succession rights, written statements, new property safety standards (such as electrical safety, carbon monoxide alarms, and smoke alarms), and initiating tenancies.

With the May 31 deadline fast approaching, the course also offers the option to purchase a downloadable universal written statement to simplify the process.

McCartan, who has over two decades of experience in the sector, runs Swansea lettings agency McCartan Lettings. She established her own company at 26 and has since worked with tens of thousands of tenants and landlords. McCartan is also a landlord trainer.