Wales only: This guide covers housing law in Wales under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. If your property is in England, see our Assured Periodic Tenancy guide. Welsh and English housing law are completely separate — you cannot use an English tenancy agreement for a Welsh property.
A Periodic Standard Occupation Contract is the standard form of private residential tenancy in Wales under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (RHA 2016), which came into force on 1 December 2022. It replaces the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) for all private lettings in Wales.
The terminology is different from England. In Wales, tenants are called contract-holders, tenancy agreements are called occupation contracts, and the written document you must provide is called a Written Statement.
Key point: If you are a private landlord in Wales and you are still using an English AST or an old-style Welsh tenancy agreement, you are not compliant with the law. The RHA 2016 has been in force since December 2022 and the Welsh Government's model written statement has been updated for June 2026 amendments.
Wales and England have completely separate housing legislation. The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 is fundamentally different from England's Renters' Rights Act 2025 — it was introduced earlier, uses different terminology, and has different rules for possession, rent increases, and contract terms.
| Feature | Wales (RHA 2016) | England (RRA 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Document name | Occupation Contract / Written Statement | Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement |
| Tenant name | Contract-holder | Tenant |
| No-fault possession | Section 173 Notice (6 months) | Section 8 only (S21 abolished June 2026) |
| In force since | 1 December 2022 | 1 May 2026 |
| Minimum no-fault notice | 6 months | 4 months (from 2028) |
| Written statement deadline | 14 days from occupation start | Not separately required |
| Deposit protection | 30 days | 30 days |
| Abandonment procedure | s.220 RHA — Tribunal process | No equivalent statutory process |
| Fixed terms | Not available for standard contracts | Also abolished from June 2026 |
The Renting Homes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 came into force on 1 May 2026 and added two new mandatory fundamental terms to every occupation contract in Wales:
Contract-holders now have a statutory right to permit a person under 18 to live in or visit the property. Landlords cannot include a "no children" clause in a Welsh occupation contract. Any such clause is automatically void.
There is a narrow exception where a landlord's buildings insurance specifically excludes cover where children reside — but this exception ends when that insurance policy expires. Landlords relying on this exception must act on renewal.
Landlords in Wales cannot discriminate against contract-holders because they receive, have claimed, or intend to claim welfare benefits. Any "no DSS" clause or equivalent is void. The same narrow insurance exception applies.
Already using a Welsh occupation contract? If your existing contract was signed before 1 May 2026, these two new fundamental terms apply automatically — you do not need to re-sign the contract. However, if you issue any new contracts or variations after 1 May 2026, the written statement must include these terms explicitly.
One of the most important — and most commonly breached — requirements of the RHA 2016 is the Written Statement obligation. This is separate from the occupation contract itself.
14-day deadline: The landlord must provide a Written Statement of the occupation contract to ALL contract-holders within 14 days of the start of occupation. This is a hard legal deadline. Missing it has serious consequences.
If you fail to provide the Written Statement within 14 days:
You must also provide the Written Statement alongside the prescribed Explanatory Information document. This is a separate document produced by the Welsh Government explaining the contract-holder's rights. Failure to provide it is also a civil wrong. The updated model (for June 2026 amendments) is available at gov.wales.
Welsh occupation contracts have three types of terms: fundamental, supplementary, and additional. Fundamental terms cannot be removed or modified in any way that worsens the contract-holder's position. Any attempt to do so renders the modification void and the statutory term applies automatically.
| Fundamental Term | What it means for landlords |
|---|---|
| Deposit protection | Must protect deposit within 30 days and provide prescribed information — otherwise cannot serve s.173 notice |
| Anti-social behaviour | Contract-holder must not cause ASB — landlord can apply to court immediately without notice period |
| Children's rights (s.54A — June 2026) | Cannot prohibit children — any such clause is void |
| Benefits rights (s.54B — June 2026) | Cannot discriminate against benefit claimants — any such clause is void |
| Fitness for human habitation | Mandatory: smoke alarms, CO alarms, EICR every 5 years, gas safety certificate annually |
| Variation procedure | Can only vary terms in writing or via statutory notice procedure — oral agreements have no effect |
Wales abolished Section 21-style no-fault evictions in December 2022 — nearly 4 years before England. In Wales, the equivalent is a Section 173 Notice, but it is much more restricted:
The contract-holder can end a periodic occupation contract by giving the landlord at least 4 weeks' written notice. This is the statutory minimum — it cannot be reduced even by agreement. Important: where there are joint contract-holders, any ONE of them can end the contract for all by giving valid notice.
| Breach type | Notice period |
|---|---|
| Serious rent arrears (8 weeks' / 2 months') | 14 days — immediate court application if arrears persist |
| Anti-social behaviour | Immediate court application — no notice required |
| Other breaches | 1 month's written notice |
| Abandonment (s.220) | 4-week warning notice then Tribunal application |
Welsh landlords have several obligations that differ from or go further than England:
The Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022 set out specific requirements that are mandatory from the start of every occupation:
All private landlords in Wales must be registered with Rent Smart Wales. If you manage your own property, you must also be licensed. This is a Wales-specific requirement with no equivalent in England. Failure to register is a criminal offence.
Rent can only be increased by written notice under Section 103 RHA with a minimum of 2 months' advance notice. Contract-holders can challenge a rent increase at the Residential Property Tribunal.
As a Welsh landlord, you need the following documents for every new tenancy:
The only Welsh occupation contract template updated for the June 2026 amendments — s.54A and s.54B already included. 17 clauses covering all fundamental and supplementary terms, inventory schedule, witness signature blocks, and prescribed information warning. Wales-specific — not a rebranded English AST.
Get the Welsh Occupation Contract — £19.99 →You will also need:
Rent Smart Wales: Remember — you must be registered with Rent Smart Wales before you can legally let property in Wales. Registration is at rentsmart.gov.wales. Landlords who manage their own properties also need a licence. A DocPilot occupation contract does not replace Rent Smart Wales registration.
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