Communities And Children’s Secretary Reminds Landlords Of The Need To Register For Rent Smart Wales

Welsh Governement Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children Carl Sargeant today visited the Rent Smart Wales call centre in Cardiff to see how the task to ensure all private landlords in Wales sign up to the mandatory registration and licensing scheme is progressing. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As a result of the Housing Act (Wales) 2014, all private landlords have until November 23rd to register themselves and their properties with Rent Smart Wales. Those landlords who are involved in letting and management activities will also have to undertake training. Rent Smart Wales aims to drive up standards in the private rented sector. The call centre, run by Cardiff Council, as the designated licensing authority for Wales, deals with queries from landlords and agents, and helps them to register and apply for a licence. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Cabinet Secretary also launched the next phase of the campaign in the lead up to the deadline to inform landlords of the legal requirement to register, and tenants of their right to have a properly registered and licensed landlord or agent. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He said: “Rent Smart Wales is a landmark scheme that will drive up standards in the private rented sector by requiring managing landlords and agents to undertake training to ensure they are clear on their responsibilities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It will help prevent the involvement of rogue and even criminal, landlords and agents in the management and letting of properties. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The scheme will also help to protect tenants in the private rented sector and will support good landlords and agents by helping them keep abreast of their responsibilities and legal obligations, raising the reputation of the sector as a whole. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The deadline for registration is now less than five months away. I would urge those who have not yet done so to discharge their legal responsibilities to register as soon as possible because, whilst registration can be completed simply and quickly on-line, the licensing process can take up to eight weeks to complete. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

City of Cardiff Council Cabinet Member, Cllr Bob Derbyshire, said: “Landlords and agents will have had a full year to ensure they register, get trained and become licensed under the new scheme. Although November 23 is the deadline for compliance and to many people, that may seem like a distant, we are keen to stress the importance of becoming licensed sooner, rather than later.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​