The Renting Homes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2023

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Renting Homes (Explanatory Information for Written Statements of Occupation Contracts) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/22 (W. 10)), the Renting Homes (Model Written Statements of Contract) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/28 (W. 13)) and the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/244 (W. 72)).

Regulation 2 amends regulations 3 and 8 of the Renting Homes (Explanatory Information for Written Statements of Occupation Contracts) (Wales) Regulations 2022. The amendments made to regulation 3 are to clarify the prescribed matters for which explanatory information must be contained in the written statement of an occupation contract. The amendments made to regulation 8 are to correct minor textual and punctuation errors in the English language text.

Regulation 3 amends Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the Renting Homes (Model Written Statements of Contract) (Wales) Regulations 2022. Amendments are made to Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to those Regulations to clarify the period in relation to which compensation may be payable by a landlord who has failed to provide a written statement within the requisite timeframe. The amendments to Part 3 of Schedule 2 are to correct errors in the English language text of terms 47 and 60 and to reflect section 180(3)(a) of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 in term 60. The amendment to Part 1 of Schedule 3 is to reflect section 184(2) of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, the amendment to Part 2 of that Schedule is to provide for the length of the term of the occupation contract to be stated and the amendment to Part 3 of that Schedule is to clarify that term 39 is a fundamental term that may be changed or left out of a written statement.

Regulation 4 amends the guidance notes for contract-holders in form RHW17 (landlord’s notice of termination: periodic standard contract with two-month minimum notice period (other than introductory standard contract or prohibited conduct standard contract)) in the Schedule to the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022. The amendment removes guidance in relation to converted contracts which is no longer relevant.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with this instrument.