Propertymark has responded to the Welsh government’s White Paper consultation on a new property tribunal system for Wales to simplify court processes.

The proposal outlines the merger of nine current tribunals in the Welsh system, which include the Residential Property Tribunal for Wales, which will be turned into a First- Tier Tribunal system.

Propertymark says it is positive about this merging system, concluding it will offer a consistent development of law and a more coherent structure to management of workloads as well as a more common approach to decision making.

The commission on Justice in Wales, chaired by former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd (“The Thomas Commission”) recommended the courts and tribunals that determine disputes in both civil and administrative law should operate under one united system in Wales, as the current nine tribunals are underutilised.

Although Propertymark shows support for the proposal, they would like to see a dedicated housing court in Wales to take the strain off the already over saturated Welsh court system.

Propertymark Policy and Campaigns Officer, Tim Thomas, commented: “Propertymark would like to see a dedicated housing court within house specialists including surveyors and legal experts, to assist in not clogging up the already struggling Welsh court system.

“Both landlords and tenants are currently being failed by a system to provide fast and clear justice when issues arise. A dedicated housing court could help aid this.”

“A separate and dedicated housing court could assist in taking strain away from the court system in Wales, particularly to tackle issues between landlords and tenants that can otherwise take extended periods of time to resolve in the County Court system.”