Wales’ first ever housing act aims to improve the supply, quality and standards of housing in Wales.
The key elements of the act are:
- introduction of a compulsory registration and licensing scheme for private rented sector landlords and letting and management agents, which will be delivered by Rent Smart Wales (external link)
- reform of homelessness law, including placing a stronger duty on local authorities to prevent homelessness and allowing them to use suitable accommodation in the private sector
- placing a duty on local authorities to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers where a need has been identified
- introduction of standards for local authorities on rents, service charges and quality of accommodation
- reform of the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system
- giving local authorities the power to charge more than the standard rate of council tax on long-term empty properties and certain types of second homes
- assisting the provision of housing by Co-operative Housing Associations, and
- amendment of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
Our priorities are:
- more homes
- better quality homes
- better housing-related services.
The act complements the wide range of developments across the housing sector and the goals of programmes, including:
- Social Housing Grant
- innovative funding such as the Housing Finance Grant
- regeneration projects such as the Vibrant and Viable Places
- finance solutions to help homebuyers
- the Houses into Homes scheme
- Help to Buy Wales
- Homebuy and
- Rent First
- the Welsh Housing Quality Standard
- services such as the Supporting People Programme
- homelessness.