An overview of the Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019, its passage through the Senedd and subordinate legislation.
Contents
Overview
The Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 (“the 2019 Act”) prohibits landlords from charging residential tenants for a number of letting fees, such as administration fees, references and credit check fees. It also makes provision about holding deposits and allows the Welsh Ministers, by regulations, to make provision in connection with publicising certain fees charged by letting agents.
Detailed commentary on the various provisions of the 2019 Act is provided in the Explanatory Notes to the 2019 Act:
Read the full 2019 Act:
The short title of the 2019 Act (previously “the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) Wales Act 2019”) was amended by the UK Parliament’s Renters’ Rights Act 2025 to reflect the increased scope of the 2019 Act, in relation to discrimination:
Further information is available in:
Coming into force
Sections 30 and 31 of the 2019 Act came into force on 16 May 2019, which was the day after the Act received Royal Assent. The other provisions of the Act come into force in accordance with section 30(2) of the Act, when one or more orders are made by the Welsh Ministers.
The following order has been made:
Subordinate legislation made under the Act
Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd
The Bill was introduced by Rebecca Evans AM, (the then) Minister for Housing and Regeneration on 11 June 2018 and passed by Senedd Cymru (the then National Assembly for Wales) on 27 March 2019:
More information about the Bill and its passage through the Senedd on senedd.wales.
The Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (as revised after Stage 2):
The Act received Royal Assent on 15 May 2019.