All the latest PRS news from Wales

Steve Bletsoe, operations manager for Wales shares his thoughts on a turbulent 2023 and - with landlord confidence in Wales slowly starting to rise - looks ahead to what 2024 has in store for the Welsh PRS.

Reasons to be cheerful, Part 1? 

2024. A year that we can look forward to with an element of positivity? Well, it is certainly a year that will be better than 2023, which saw 12 months of change in legislation and requirements of you as a landlord, on a scale that we have never seen before in Wales. 

But, here we are, so what can we look forward to in 2024? 

Firstly, there is the Welsh Government consultation on council tax reform. We at the the NRLA remain in communication with civil servants and elected members of the Senedd to ensure that, whilst the headlines state that this needs to be a “fairer” system of tax, any changes MUST be fair to PRS landlords as well as tenants.

We will see the move from the Green Paper on Fair Rents and a Right to Adequate Housing - a discussion document outlining proposals as they are being developed - to the publication of a White Paper, where the Welsh Government will outline whether or not they will introduce rent controls, and what form they could take.

Change of tone

During 2023 it was heartening to see a change in the language around what “Fair Rents” actually means; not a control of rental levels, but a fair rent for both tenant and landlord, and the NRLA will remain an active voice on your behalf throughout the process. 

The Homelessness White Paper has been published already and places no additional obligations on PRS landlords in relation to reporting of possession claims; or indeed proposed any further change to the grounds for possession claims themselves, an encouraging sign.

Reasons to be cheerful

Overall, there may well be reasons to be cheerful in 2024, and there is evidence that this positivity is starting to filter through, with a growth in confidence across the landlords in Wales.

This growth admittedly comes from a low base, and is yet to hit positive figures, however it does represent a return to confidence levels recorded before the implementation of Renting Homes (Wales) Act, and on a par with those recorded across the border in England.

Following the upheaval caused by Renting Homes (Wales) we are now in a period of relative calm, and we would encourage the Senedd to 'leave well alone' for some time, to allow good landlords to provide good quality properties in a progressive environment and to encourage further investment in the sector. 

As we move forward, please be assured that we at the NRLA will continue be the unified voice for the Welsh PRS.