Welsh landlords and letting agents face a key compliance deadline on 14 June 2026. Learn what's changing and how Goodlord is helping you stay compliant.
The Goodlord team
Jun 5, 2026
A significant compliance deadline is approaching for Welsh landlords and letting agents, and should not be overlooked.
As part of ongoing changes to the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, new fundamental terms will be incorporated into many occupation contracts from 1 June 2026. These amendments introduce protections against discrimination based on having children and on receiving benefits.
Where these changes affect existing occupation contracts, landlords must provide contract-holders with either a written statement of the varied terms or an updated written statement of the occupation contract. This documentation must be issued no later than 14 June 2026.
Although the changes are relatively straightforward, the compliance window is short. Landlords and letting agents should review their portfolios now to identify any affected occupation contracts, update documentation where necessary, and ensure that all contract holders receive the required information before the deadline.
Failure to act promptly could result in non-compliance with the updated legal requirements, making early preparation essential.
What’s changing
The Welsh Government has introduced new fundamental terms that strengthen protections for contract-holders who have children or receive welfare benefits.
From 1 June 2026, these terms have become part of existing occupation contracts. The changes are designed to prevent discrimination against people because they have children or because they claim benefits, aligning with wider efforts to strengthen tenant protections across the UK.
The new provisions include:
- Protection against restrictions on contract-holders claiming welfare benefits.
- Protection against blanket restrictions preventing children from living in or visiting a property, unless a restriction can be properly justified.
These new terms come as part of the ongoing evolution of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, which has already transformed the Welsh rental landscape by replacing traditional tenancy agreements with occupation contracts and tenants with contract-holders.
Why the 14 June deadline matters
Under the new rules, when the new terms apply to an existing occupational contract, landlords and letting agents must provide either:
- A written statement of the terms that have been changed
- An updated written statement of the occupation contract showing the changes
Since this documentation must be issued within 14 days of the changes being implemented (this happened on 1 June), the final deadline is 14 June, 2026.
As with other requirements under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, it’s important that you properly document every step of your compliance process. Failure to provide the required written statements can expose landlords to compliance risks and legal difficulties further down the line.
For agents managing large portfolios, identifying every affected contract and ensuring that documentation is served correctly by the deadline can become a significant administrative task.
What landlords and letting agents need to do now
From the time of publication, the 14th June deadline is less than two working weeks away. Ensuring your portfolio remains compliant is crucial, and it’s best to get everything in order as soon as possible.
Landlords and agents should:
- Review their current portfolio of Welsh properties
- Ensure occupation contract information is accurate and up to date
- Confirm which contracts are affected by the changes
- Check that all occupation contracts have been fully executed and stored correctly
- Keep a record showing when and how documentation was issued
Should you or one of your landlords need to prove that their properties are compliant, good record-keeping will be essential.
The Welsh Government has also made clear that landlords can choose whether to issue a standalone written statement of variation or provide a fully updated written statement of the occupation contract. Either approach is acceptable, provided the information is served by the 14 June deadline.
How Goodlord is helping you stay compliant
As part of our mission to offer our customers exceptional service, Goodlord will support eligible customers by issuing a written statement of variation on their behalf.
The service will apply to eligible Welsh tenancies recorded and executed within the Goodlord platform, including:
- Fully managed tenancies
- Rent collection tenancies
- Let-only tenancies
A record of each statement issued will be stored against the tenancy in our centralised system, helping provide a clear audit trail for every document and every tenancy.
If you have any questions about how these changes could affect you and your portfolio, please reach out to your dedicated account manager. If you're not a customer and would like to know more about how Goodlord can help you, book a demo with our team today.
