Rent Smart Wales, Landlord Licensing & Registration, expert advice here.

Be RENTSMART with Hathways

We are your local experts on the newly-introduced Rent Smart Wales landlord registration and licensing scheme, we're here to help landlords comply with the new legislation that has been introduced by the Welsh Government.

There are so many legal obligations put in place by the local authority and Welsh Government in recent years, many landlords have decided instruct a letting agent to manage their properties on their behalf.

At Hathways, we comply with Rent Smart Wales’ criteria required for an agent licence, meaning we are allowed to continue acting as a managing agent when others won’t be.

Instruct us to manage your property and we will:

  • Save you the cost of a landlord licence and the hassle of ongoing training.
  • Act as a buffer from the questions and demands of the local authority and Rent Smart Wales.
  • Address any issues or problems via our designated Inspections Team.
  • Have dedicated, trained lettings & accounts department at your disposal.
  • Ongoing professional advice on how best to maximise your rental income moving forward.
  • Provide you with peace of mind via our Client Money Protection (CMP) policy, professional indemnity insurance, and redress scheme membership.
  • Reassure you that all of our staff have undergone the required licensing training

What is Rent Smart Wales?

Launched on 23rd November 2015, Rent Smart Wales is the product of the Welsh Government’s bid to "improve the image" of the private rented sector and to raise the standard of landlords and their rental accommodation.

The legislation now requires every landlord of a rented property in Wales to register with the scheme, while those who self-manage must also obtain a licence, obtained by sitting an exam and proving themselves as a “fit and proper person.”

The Rent Smart Wales website contains a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions section, but the scheme can be summarised as follows:

The two main requirements for landlords:

  • Registration. As a landlord, you must register with your name, address, date of birth, e-mail address, telephone number and addresses of every property you let out in Wales.
  • A licence. If you carry out any tenant-finding or day-to-day property management-related duties – a full list of which can be found here – you must be licensed. However, if you use a managing agent, then it’s the agent who must be licensed.

As you may or may not be aware the government is also looking to phase out the mortgage interest relief on buy to let properties, meaning this can no longer be accounted for each year. Many landlords are now deciding to instruct a letting agent to manage their properties as the fees are tax deductible. As many Landlords would rather be paying for a service (to reduce their tax liability) rather than simply paying out more in tax and getting nothing in return:

Contact us if you would like further information and guidance, we would love to hear from you.

Your Property IS Our Business!

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