Rent Smart Wales licensing conditions

Last updated: 29/09/2025 • First published: 13/08/2020

Introduction

Whenever you apply for a licence to manage a property in Wales, Rent Smart Wales will issue you with a set of licence conditions they expect you to follow.

These licence conditions are reviewed and updated regularly so you should familiarise yourself with your licence whenever you renew or apply for a licence for the firstt time.

How much does it cost to sign up with Rent Smart Wales?

Rent Smart Wales fees are split into registering the property (which every landlord must do) and paying for a licence (which is only payable if you engage in property management work).

Registration fees

You will need to register your property with Rent Smart Wales every five years.

Costs vary depending on whether the application is new and whether the application is made online:

	Standard fee	Online application
New registration	£102	£60
Renewal	£87	£48

If you miss the deadline to renew and your registration lapses, you will be charged as if it is a new registration so it's always best to apply in good time and online to save money.

Licence fees

If you are paying for a licence then the fees will vary dependant on whether:

you apply online
you are renewing and your application is submitted 42-84 days before the licence runs out (an early renewal discount applies in these cases)
whether you pay in full or in two parts.

Landlord Licence	Standard Fee	Online
Standard fee - one payment	£327	£254
Standard fee - split payment	£234 on application and £141 before the licence is issued	£188 on application and £114 before the licence is issued
Renewal application made 42-84 days before the licence expires – one payment	£302	£230
Renewal application made 42-84 days before the licence expires – split payment	£218 on application and £132 before the licence is issued	£173 on application and £105 before the licence is issued

When do I need a licence?

If you are a landlord you will require a licence if you perform any of the following activities:

arranging or conducting viewings with prospective tenants;
gathering evidence for the purpose of establishing the suitability of prospective tenants (for example, by confirming character references, undertaking credit checks or interviewing a prospective tenant);
preparing, or arranging the preparation, of a tenancy agreement;
preparing, or arranging the preparation, of an inventory for the dwelling or schedule of condition for the dwelling.
collecting rent;
being the principal point of contact for the tenant in relation to matters arising under the tenancy;
making arrangements with a person to carry out repairs or maintenance;
making arrangements with a tenant or occupier of the dwelling to secure access to the dwelling for any purpose;
checking the contents or condition of the dwelling, or arranging for them to be checked as part of a current tenancy or for one which has ended;
serving notice to terminate a tenancy.

If the only activity you undertake is performing repairs at a property, you are not required to obtain a landlord licence.

If you are an agent you will require a licence, when acting on behalf of the landlord of the dwelling, by either collecting rent or undertaking more than one of the activities listed below.

publishing advertisements or disseminating information;
providing a means for prospective landlords (or their agents) and tenants to contact each other and communicate
arranging and conducting viewings with prospective tenants;
preparing, or arranging the preparation of, the tenancy agreement;
preparing, or arranging the preparation of, any inventory or schedule of condition;
collecting rent
being the principal point of contact for the tenant in relation to matters arising under the tenancy;
making arrangements with a person to carry out repairs or maintenance*;
making arrangements with a tenant or occupier of the dwelling to secure access to the dwelling for any purpose;
checking the contents or condition of the dwelling, or arranging for them to be checked as part of a current tenancy or for one that has ended;
serving notice to terminate a tenancy.

Where can I find my licence conditions?

Your licence conditions can be found in your account on the Rent Smart Wales website.

If you have not applied for a licence yet, then you can find a list of typical licence conditions here. These conditions include things like:

The landlord or agreeing agreeing to abide by the code of practice
Undertaking suitable training
Ensuring there is suitable buildings insurance
Mandating the frequency of inspections.
Ensuring that tenants are given all the necessary information for their tenancy (written statements, gas safety certificates, etc)
Having a written complaints procedure

These general conditions are reviewed and updated regularly and your own licence may have specific conditions based on your circumstances so you must ensure you read and follow your own licence conditions.

The latest update to licence conditions

On 1 Septemebr 2025, Rent Smart Wales updated their licence conditions. These new conditions will apply to any licence renewed on or after that date. If you have applied for a licence since then you will find the key changes in the conditions are:

All HMOs will need to be inspected every 6 months. Previously this was only required if the HMO was let by the room.
Records must be kept for 2 years or the length of the tenancy, whichever is longer. In practice, you will usually want to keep at least some records for longer than this though.
Extra guidance on the information that needs to be provided to a tenant.
Properties should be fit for human habitation.
An expectation to work together to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Directors and those with similar levels of responsibility need to be trained and linked to the licence.

In practice, most landlords and agents will already meet these conditions but it is a good idea to keep a record of your compliance for when you next renew your licence.