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Renters Rights Act amendments to the Welsh Occupation Contracts
May 9, 2026
As several people have been reminding me, our Welsh occupation contracts need to be amended.
This is to include the new clauses brought in by the Renters Rights Act 2025.
The Renters Rights Act mostly applies in England. However, it does bring in anti-discrimination rules which apply in Wales and also in Scotland.
The Welsh clauses are due to come into force on 1 June 2026 so our contracts need to be amended to take account of that.
Amending the clauses
It took me longer than expected to do this. Firstly because the place where the Welsh government suggest the clauses go seemed a bit odd.
Then also I had forgotten (as it seems has the Welsh government) that the clause numbering is different in the fixed-term and periodic contracts.
However, it looks as if the Welsh government want the new clauses to go between
- the section on emergency access and
- the section on care of the dwelling – the contract holder’s responsibilities.
The Landlord Law Contracts
We have three contracts on Landlord Law:
- A standard fixed term contract (which provides for a subsequent periodic contract)
- A standard fixed term contract for a room on a shared house (which provides for a subsequent periodic contract), and
- A periodic contract
For each of these, the new clauses will be:
- clause 14A and 14B in the periodic contract and
- clause 12A and 12B in the fixed term contracts.
- If the landlord initially gave a fixed term contract, which, after the fixed term ended, has continued as a periodic contract (with no new contract being signed), the clauses will be 12A and 12B.
Our forms have now been amended accordingly, for new contracts.
If you have any existing contracts, you don’t need to re-serve the whole contract. You just need to serve notice on your contract holders, telling them about the new clauses.
Landlord’s Notice to Contract Holders
You need to serve one of the following on your contract holders before 14 June.
- Notice 1 – Use this for a periodic contract.
- Notice 2 – Use this if your contract is a fixed term contract
- Notice 3 – Use this if you originally gave a fixed term (using our form) where that fixed term has ended. So your contract holders will now be in a periodic contract under the terms of our fixed-term occupation contract (which gives terms and conditions for any subsequent periodic contract). Unless of course, you gave a new fixed-term contract, rather than letting the original one run on.
Copy and paste the wording of the relevant notice into your document creation software and add details as appropriate in the square brackets (removing the brackets when you do so).
The notices must be served on your contract holders before 14 June 2026.
I don’t see any reason why the notice should not be served before 1 June, as it is just giving notice of the change, and the date of the change is set out clearly in the notice.
Note that the notice wording below are only appropriate for landlords using the Landlord Law occupation contract forms. If you are using a different contract, the section numbers may be different.
Notice 1
Written notice of variation of a periodic standard contract.
Occupation contract relating to: [give here the address of the properties]
Landlord: [give name of landlord]
Contract holder: [give name of contract holder/s]
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 has been amended to include two new fundamental provisions at sections 54A and 54B. These new fundamental provisions form two new fundamental terms in our periodic standard occupation contract with effect from 1 June 2026.
This means that the Written Statement of the contract referred to above must be read together with this written statement, to the effect that the following new fundamental terms are inserted following term 14:
“Prohibition of discrimination against people with children and benefits claimants
Right for children to live at or visit dwelling
14A (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this term, you may permit a person who has not reached the age of 18 to live in or visit the dwelling.
(2) The landlord must not interfere with or restrict the exercise of your right under paragraph (1) of this term, unless the interference or restriction is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
Right to claim benefits
14B The landlord must not prohibit you from being a benefits claimant within the meaning given by section 8J of the Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019.”
For guidance on these new terms, see: https://www.gov.wales/renting-homes-miscellaneous-amendments-wales-regulations-2026-guidance-landlords-html
Notice 2
Written notice of variation of a fixed term standard contract.
Occupation contract relating to: [give here the address of the properties]
Landlord: [give name of landlord]
Contract holder: [give name of contract holder/s]
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 has been amended to include two new fundamental provisions at sections 54A and 54B. These new fundamental provisions form two new fundamental terms in our periodic standard occupation contract with effect from 1 June 2026.
This means that the Written Statement of the contract referred to above must be read together with this written statement, to the effect that the following new fundamental terms are inserted following term 12:
“Prohibition of discrimination against people with children and benefits claimants
Right for children to live at or visit dwelling
12A (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this term, you may permit a person who has not reached the age of 18 to live in or visit the dwelling.
(2) The landlord must not interfere with or restrict the exercise of your right under paragraph (1) of this term, unless the interference or restriction is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
Right to claim benefits
12B The landlord must not prohibit you from being a benefits claimant within the meaning given by section 8J of the Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019.”
For guidance on these new terms, see: https://www.gov.wales/renting-homes-miscellaneous-amendments-wales-regulations-2026-guidance-landlords-html
Notice 3
Written notice of variation of a periodic standard contract.
Occupation contract relating to: [give here the address of the properties]
Landlord: [give name of landlord]
Contract holder: [give name of contract holder/s]
You initially entered into a fixed-term occupation contract on [date], but after the end of your fixed term, this has converted to a periodic occupation contract as set out in section A57(6)(a) of your contract. The terms and conditions of this periodic contract are as provided in section A57(6)(b) and Annex 1.
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 has been amended to include two new fundamental provisions at sections 54A and 54B. These new fundamental provisions form two new fundamental terms in your periodic occupation contract with effect from 1 June 2026.
This means that the Written Statement of the contract referred to above must be read together with this written statement, to the effect that the following new fundamental terms are inserted following term 12:
“Prohibition of discrimination against people with children and benefits claimants
Right for children to live at or visit dwelling
12A (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this term, you may permit a person who has not reached the age of 18 to live in or visit the dwelling.
(2) The landlord must not interfere with or restrict the exercise of your right under paragraph (1) of this term, unless the interference or restriction is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
Right to claim benefits
12B The landlord must not prohibit you from being a benefits claimant within the meaning given by section 8J of the Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019.”
For guidance on these new terms, see: https://www.gov.wales/renting-homes-miscellaneous-amendments-wales-regulations-2026-guidance-landlords-html
If any Landlord Law members have any questions about this, please put them on the members forum.
Not a Landlord Law member? Find out more here.
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Tessa Shepperson of Landlord Law is an accredited trainer with the
Property Investors Bureau.
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