Wales Residential Lease Agreements (Occupation Contracts)

Disclaimer: This guide provides general legal information for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult a qualified solicitor in Wales for advice specific to your situation. Information last verified: March 2026.

As of December 1, 2022, traditional Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) are legally extinct in Wales. The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 implemented a completely new, heavily regulated framework.

Tenants are now exclusively referred to as Contract-Holders. The lease agreement is an Occupation Contract, and the physical document provided to the contract-holder is the Written Statement.

The Written Statement: The Ultimate Leasing Document

A private landlord in Wales cannot simply draft a custom lease from scratch. They must provide the contract-holder with a "Written Statement" of the occupation contract (usually a Standard Occupation Contract for the private rented sector).

The 14-Day Deadline

This Written Statement must be provided within 14 days of the contract-holder moving into the property.

If a landlord fails to provide the statement within 14 days, the contract-holder is legally entitled to compensation equivalent to a day's rent for every day it is late (up to two months' rent maximum).

Required Elements of the Written Statement

The Welsh Government mandates that every Written Statement must contain four highly specific tiers of terms. Altering the wrong tier can render the entire contract illegal.

1. Key Matters

This is the basic factual data:

• The legal names of the landlord(s) and the contract-holder(s).
• The exact address of the property.
• The amount of rent due, and precisely when it is to be paid.
• The start date of the contract.

2. Fundamental Terms

These are the most critical statutory rights covering core issues like the landlord's obligations regarding repairs, deposit protection, and the strict rules governing evictions.

• Rules on Alteration: Most Fundamental Terms cannot be changed or removed. A very small subset can be modified (for example, to make them fairer to the contract-holder), but this requires mutual agreement.

3. Supplementary Terms

These deal with the practical, day-to-day operation of the property. Examples include the requirement for the contract-holder to notify the landlord if the property will be empty for 28 days, or rules surrounding the payment of council bills.

• Rules on Alteration: These can be omitted or heavily modified if both parties agree. However, if a landlord leaves one out, the Welsh Government's default "Model Statement" rules will automatically apply if a dispute arises.

4. Additional Terms

These are the completely customized rules a landlord chooses to add, provided they do not conflict with the Fundamental Terms, the Supplementary Terms, or general consumer rights law. Common Additional Terms include:

• Specifically allowing or prohibiting pets.
• Restricting smoking inside the property.
• Stipulating who maintains the garden.

Rent Smart Wales Licensing

Under no circumstances can a landlord issue an occupation contract or collect rent in Wales without being registered with Rent Smart Wales. If the landlord manages the property directly (without a letting agent), they must also complete a training course and hold a valid Rent Smart Wales Licence.

An unlicensed private landlord commits a criminal offense and instantly forfeits their right to serve a no-fault eviction notice.

See our Required Disclosures guide for the other mandatory documents that must accompany the Written Statement.

How Landager Helps Landlords in Wales

The sheer rigidity of the Welsh Written Statement system makes DIY leases incredibly dangerous. Landager’s Welsh leasing engine utilizes the exact Welsh Government Model Written Statements for Standard Occupation Contracts. Our system ensures you input every Key Matter, intelligently locks down all unalterable Fundamental Terms to prevent illegal drafting, and generates a flawless, compliant document ready for secure digital signature—ensuring you never incur the severe "14-Day Deadline" financial penalties.

Back to Wales Residential Landlord-Tenant Laws Overview.