A few reminders for agents in Wales

Wales Watch: A few reminders for agents in Wales/Gwarchod Cymru: Ychydig o Nodiadau Atgoffa ar gyfer asiantau yng Nghymru

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Welsh Translation/cyfieithiad Cymraeg

After the extended down period due to the passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth, it’s time for reflection of the past to prepare for the future.

So, as letting agents in Wales it’s maybe time too to review what is already in place that we may have missed before the new Act deadline of 1 December 2022.

1. Rent Smart Wales Tenants Guide

Something that has not been well covered in the RSW training or in the various guides has been the presenting to the tenants of the RSW Tenants Guide. In England it has been law for seven years that all tenants MUST be given a How to Rent Guide before the tenancy starts. In Wales it has not been emphasised that the Welsh Tenants Guide must be given to the tenants – it must. Where does it say this in law? Well it is a condition of the RSW licence that the Tenants Guide must be given to the tenant before the agreement commences.

A Home in the Private Rented Sector: a Guide for Tenants in Wales

As it is a requirement agents should make sure the tenants have signed to say they have received the Guide – see below.

2. Specified information

The Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Holding Deposit) (Specified Information) (Wales) Regulations 2019.

The above regulations mean that more information has to be given to the tenants – this ‘specified information’ is to be given to the prospective tenant before a holding deposit is paid to the landlord or letting agent.

The Amount of the holding deposit
The address of the property

To whom is the holding deposit paid
Agent’s details:
Name
Address
Telephone number
Email address
Landlord’s details:
Name
Address
Telephone number
Email address

Duration of the contract
Proposed occupation date
Amount of rent
Rental period (monthly?)
Proposed contract terms – see attached draft agreement/contract
Details of any additional terms not in the draft agreement
Amount of security deposit

A guarantor is/is not required
If a guarantor is required the guarantor should meet the following criteria:
UK homeowner
Clear credit history

Earnings of a minimum of three times the rent
Ability to prove identity and prove residence
Agree to take on the obligations in the AST/Occupation Contract provided to the tenant

Explanation of what references will be taken – credit check, landlord, employer, etc.
Then for anything specific to that agreement only

Summary

The main changes can really come under the heading of when do we take the money?

So, now before we take the holding deposit when the tenants indicate they would like to go ahead we must give them the following:

Holding Deposits Information Sheet/ Agreement before Lease including all the specified information above + Draft AST or Occupation Contract + Tenants Guide RSW + EPC +EICR + Gas Safety Certificate AND make sure they sign to say they have received this information. This information must be given by hand unless the client gives consent to receive by email.

Assuming then that the let subsequently is going forward to completion then the AST or Occupation Contract must be signed before the remaining money is paid.

If money is paid before the agreement is signed then it may be construed that the money was paid under the holding deposit legislation which of course can be a maximum of one week’s rent thereby breaching the Tenant Fee Ban aspect of the Renting Homes Wales Act 2016.

Welsh Translation/cyfieithiad Cymraeg

Ar ôl y cyfnod estynedig i lawr oherwydd marwolaeth Ei Huchelder y Frenhines Elizabeth, mae’n amser i fyfyrio ar y gorffennol er mwyn paratoi ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Felly, fel asiantau gosod tai yng Nghymru efallai ei bod hi’n amser hefyd i adolygu’r hyn sydd eisoes ar waith y gallen ni fod wedi’i fethu cyn dyddiad cau’r Ddeddf newydd, sef 1 Rhagfyr 2022.

1. Canllaw i Denantiaid Rhentu Doeth Cymru

Mae nawr yn amser da i ddechrau diogelu’ch asiantaethau at y dyfodol ymhell cyn y terfyn amser ym mis Rhagfyr fel eich bod ar y blaen a sicrhau bod eich busnes eiddo’n trosglwyddo’n ddidrafferth i ddiwydiant eiddo Cymru ar ei newydd wedd.

Rhywbeth sydd heb gael sylw da yn yr hyfforddiant RSW nac yn y canllawiau amrywiol fu cyflwyno Canllaw Tenantiaid RSW i denantiaid. Yn Lloegr fe fu’n gyfraith ers 7 mlynedd fod RHAID i bob tenant gael Canllaw Sut i Rentu cyn i’r denantiaeth ddechrau. Yng Nghymru nid yw wedi’i bwysleisio bod rhaid rhoi Canllaw Tenantiaid Cymru i’r tenantiaid – Rhaid. Ble mae’n dweud hyn yn y gyfraith? – wel mae’n amod o’r drwydded RSW bod rhaid rhoi’r Canllaw Tenantiaid i’r tenant cyn i’r cytundeb ddechrau.

https://rentsmart.gov.wales/Uploads/Downloads/00/00/00/02/DownloadFileEN_FILE/RSW-Tenant-s-Guide.pdf

Gan ei fod yn ofynnol, dylai asiantiaid sicrhau bod y tenantiaid wedi llofnodi i ddweud eu bod wedi derbyn y Canllaw – gweler isod.

2. Gwybodaeth Benodedig

Rheoliadau Rhentu Cartrefi (Ffioedd etc.) (Blaendal Cadw) (Gwybodaeth Benodedig) (Cymru) 2019.

Mae’r Rheoliadau uchod yn golygu bod rhaid rhoi rhagor o wybodaeth i’r tenantiaid – mae’r ‘wybodaeth benodedig’ hon i’w rhoi i’r darpar denant cyn i flaendal cadw gael ei dalu i’r landlord neu’r asiant gosod eiddo.

Swm y Blaendal Cadw
Cyfeiriad yr eiddo

I bwy y telir y Blaendal Cadw
Manylion yr asiant:
Enw
Cyfeiriad
Rhif Ffôn
Cyfeiriad e-bost
Manylion y landlord:
Enw
Cyfeiriad
Rhif Ffôn
Cyfeiriad e-bost

Hyd y contract
Dyddiad meddiannu arfaethedig
Swm y rhent
Cyfnod rhentu (misol?)
Telerau arfaethedig i’r contract – gweler y cytundeb/contract drafft sydd ynghlwm
Manylion unrhyw delerau Ychwanegol nad ydynt yn y cytundeb drafft
Swm y Blaendal Diogelwch

Mae/nid oes angen gwarantwr
Os oes angen gwarantwr, dylai’r gwarantwr fodloni’r meini prawf dilynol:
Perchennog Cartref yn y DU
Hanes credyd clir
Enillion o leiaf 3 gwaith y rhent
Y gallu i brofi hunaniaeth a phrofi preswylfa
Cytuno i ymgymryd â’r rhwymedigaethau yn y Contract AST/Meddiannaeth a ddarperir i’r tenant

Eglurhad o ba dystlythyrau
a gymerir – gwiriad credyd, landlord,
cyflogwr, ac ati

Yna ar gyfer unrhyw beth penodol i’r
cytundeb hwnnw yn unig –

CRYNODEB

Gall y prif newidiadau ddod o dan y pennawd pryd y byddwn ni’n cymryd yr arian?

Felly, nawr cyn i ni gymryd y blaendal cadw pan fydd y tenantiaid yn nodi y byddent yn hoffi bwrw ymlaen mae’n rhaid i ni roi’r dilynol iddynt-

Dalen Wybodaeth Blaendaliadau Cadw/ Cytundeb cyn Prydles gan gynnwys yr holl wybodaeth a nodir uchod + AST Drafft neu Gontract Meddiannaeth + Canllaw Tenantiaid RSW + EPC + EICR + Tystysgrif Diogelwch Nwy A gwnewch yn siŵr eu bod yn llofnodi i ddweud eu bod wedi derbyn y wybodaeth hon. Rhaid i’r wybodaeth hon gael ei rhoi â llaw oni bai bod y cleient yn rhoi caniatâd i’w derbyn trwy e-bost.

Gan dybio wedyn bod y gosodiad yn symud ymlaen i’w gwblhau, yna mae’n rhaid i’r AST neu’r Contract Meddiannaeth gael ei lofnodi cyn i’r arian sy’n weddill gael ei dalu.

Os bydd arian yn cael ei dalu cyn i’r cytundeb gael ei lofnodi, yna gellir dehongli bod yr arian wedi’i dalu o dan y ddeddfwriaeth Blaendal Cadw sydd, wrth gwrs, yn gallu bod yn uchafswm o 1 wythnos o rent gan dorri’r agwedd Waharddiad Ffioedd Tenantiaid o Ddeddf Rhentu Cartrefi Cymru 2016.