Buy to let and shared home landlords renting out homes in Wales face another raft of new legislation.

The Welsh Government has already started a principality-wide licensing scheme and now wants landlords to complete a rental checklist covering almost 30 points for every tenancy.

Some of the checks are at a change of tenancy, while others are ongoing obligations.

The consultation also wants landlord views on a new tenancy contract to replace assured shorthold tenancies.

On top of this, landlords with private rented homes in Wales are also subject to new energy efficiency regulations that start in April 2018.

The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 calls for landlords to carry out electrical safety checks every five years and to fit and test working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at the start of each tenancy.

The law also adds more than 20 other checks, including:

  • Monitoring damp and mould problems
  • Detecting asbestos and other artificial fibres in a property
  • Assessing carbon monoxide, lead, fuel gas and electrical hazards
  • Managing excess cold and heat
  • Improving security so intruders cannot easily enter a home
  • Maintain adequate sanitation and drainage, noise controls and domestic hygiene, including pest and waste control.
  • Provide clean water supplies, avoid overcrowding
  • Check for lighting and trip hazards

Welsh Government communities’ secretary Carl Sargeant said:

“Quality homes are crucial to people’s well-being.  We all know poor living conditions affect a person’s physical and mental health.

“Poor housing conditions such as overcrowding, damp, and cold have been linked to respiratory diseases as well as illnesses such as eczema and hypothermia.

“Housing should go beyond putting a roof over people’s heads. Everyone should be entitled to live in an environment that is as safe and healthy as possible.

“There is a need for us to address poor housing conditions, alongside our ambition to raise standards generally.”

Find out more about the consultation