Propertymark has criticised the Welsh government’s changes to notice periods in the private rented sector as part of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act.
On the 1 December 2022, the rules about how people rent a home will change, and this will affect both private and social tenants, but the trade body is not happy.
Tim Thomas, policy and campaigns officer for Propertymark, said: “Letting agents and their landlords showed great flexibility at the outset of the pandemic in their support of extended notice periods, but again we have a government pursuing permanent changes to what were supposed to be temporary measures.
“The Welsh government says extending notice periods for existing tenancies from June is necessary to bring down the rising cost to taxpayers of temporary accommodation. What it fails to understand is the knock-on effect this strengthening of tenants’ rights will have on the confidence of landlords. New tenancies will also have to comply by 1 December.
“The private landlords our member agents represent have become important housing providers, but they need to know they can regain possession of their property when they need to do so. The best way to support tenants is to focus on policies that can increase the supply of housing rather those that will constrain it.”
Propertymark is hosting a free webinar about the Renting Homes (Wales) Act at 12pm on 23 November.
Simon White, head of housing strategy for the Welsh government, will explain the biggest shake up of Welsh housing law in detail and take questions.
To book a place click here.
Comments (2)
LOL…….. The Welsh government says extending notice periods for existing tenancies from June is necessary to bring down the rising cost to taxpayers of temporary accommodation.
No it won’t. Once the 6 month clock has expired you still have the same problem, you have only delayed the inevitable and we are talking about Sec 21. No landlord gets rid of a good tenant, so the rule is there to hinder and keep in place bad tenants at the risk and financial loss to the landlord because Welsh Government has failed to secure housing for all those that should not be in PRS. What incentive is there to stay a landlord?
It is reported rife in Wales that local authorities had run out of social housing a few years ago (if not longer) and promoting eviction process/delays to stay off their responsibilities to re-house, which again is only a delay of the inevitable and at even more cost to the landlord. This is a problem created by the Welsh Government mishandling of housing policy for decades, is it not!
But in fact it will not just not achieve what it is said it is intended for, it will do the exact opposite. More landlords will sell up so it’s pretty damn obvious that the cost of temporary accommodation will rise.
Take aim. Fire! Another foot shot.