Following the Welsh Government’s confirmation that the Renting Homes (Wales) Act will be implemented from 15 July 2022, regulations have been laid which set out the required content of occupation contracts.

The Act, which was first passed in 2016, represents the biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades. It increases protections for tenants and contract-holders through the introduction of a single, clear framework.

The average number of new prospective tenants was the highest on record for the month of November with 82 per Propertymark member branch. It's a significant rise from October's figure of 71.

PRS Report: Propertymark members reported the lowest number of new prospective tenants in October since December 2020.

Propertymark Policy Manager, Daryl McIntosh, gave oral evidence on 18 November 2021 to the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Communities to address proposals in the Private Tenancies Bill.

Propertymark has long called for greater regulation of the private rented sector in Northern Ireland, our recent response to the Assembly’s Call for Evidence cautions against the introduction of too many regulatory changes in one go, which could result in landlords exiting the sector and undermining the ambitions of the Bill.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) specifically asked for data about, and insights into, experiences of dispute resolution within and outside the court system to help them understand a range of factors including drivers of engagement, outcomes, standards and skills and training.

PRS REPORT: The West Midlands is the topmost region with tenant demand and overall, the number of new prospective tenants was the highest on record for the month of September.

PRS REPORT: Number of new prospective tenants was highest figure on record at an average of 107 per branch, while the number of properties managed per branch fell to 196 during August.

The second reading of the Private Tenancies Bill took place on 13 September 2021, which was introduced to deliver more protections for private renters.

The announcement by the Minister of Climate Change Julie James MS, who also has a responsibility over housing, also marks the closure of the Tenancy Saver Loan scheme.

We have urged consistency across tenancy agreements and suggested the introduction of a checklist to support landlords and agents to comply with the new rules.

Members of the House of Lords quizzed the UK Government yesterday on what it is doing to encourage landlords to be more pet friendly. The question was tabled by Lord Black who said that one million households that would like to have a cat cannot do so because they live in a rental property.

The UK Government has issued new Secure tenancy and Assured tenancy forms to reflect the changes to notice periods in England from 1 June. From today, notice periods in England that are currently six months, will now be reduced to four months. 

A landlord survey by Direct Line suggests that nearly half welcome the UK Government’s new Model Tenancy Agreement, which enables tenants with ‘well-behaved pets’ to secure a tenancy more easily.