Tenants won’t be able to enjoy a long term home unless there are proper protections against no-fault eviction, councils buying up homes being sold by landlords and limits on rent increases. While tenants can challenge rent increases through a Rent Assessment Committee, this is an obscure, difficult and unreliable process: just three did so in 2019-20.
In England, landlords who rent out unsafe homes can be fined up to £30,000 and pay back a year’s rent. While these penalties are underused in England, they simply do not exist in Wales.
Wales does have a national landlord register in the form of Rent Smart Wales, so renters can check if their home is legit before handing over a deposit, but this system should be beefed up to give renters more information – such as their landlord’s history of deposit claims and legal action.
Generation Rent is calling on candidates for the Senedd to commit to supporting:
- An end to ‚Äòno fault’ evictions
- More powers given to councils to tackle landlords who rent out unsafe homes
- Tougher penalties for landlords who break the law
- Enabling renters to claim back rent from negligent landlords
- Improving Rent Smart Wales to give renters more information about their home
Read our manifesto and join our campaign here.
