Wales Compliance Guide
What is an occupation contract in Wales?
Direct answer: an occupation contract is the written agreement that replaced tenancy agreements in Wales from 1 December 2022, under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Every contract-holder (the Welsh term for tenant) must get one, and it must include specific "key matter" and "fundamental" terms set out in law, not just whatever the landlord chooses to write.
If you've let property in England too, the closest comparison is an assured shorthold tenancy, but treating an occupation contract as just a renamed AST will get you into trouble. The possession routes, notice periods, and required content are genuinely different, not relabelled.
What's the difference between a secure and a standard contract?
A secure contract is used by local authorities and housing associations for what were previously secure and assured tenancies. A standard contract is what almost every private landlord uses, and it's also used by social landlords in specific situations such as supported accommodation. If you're a private landlord in Wales, you're almost certainly issuing standard contracts.
What happened to my old tenancy agreements when the law changed?
Existing tenancies converted automatically into occupation contracts on 1 December 2022, you didn't need to do anything for the conversion itself to happen. But landlords then had until 31 May 2023 to issue an updated written statement to those already-converted tenants, setting out the new terms properly.
If this applies to you: if you had tenants in place before December 2022 and never issued the updated written statement by the 31 May 2023 deadline, that's technically overdue. Worth getting advice on fixing it rather than leaving it unresolved.
What is a Section 173 notice?
Section 173 is the no-fault route for ending a periodic standard contract. You must give at least 6 months' notice, and you can't serve the notice at all during the first 6 months of the contract, so in practice a tenant can't be asked to leave this way any sooner than roughly 12 months after they moved in.
- Minimum notice period: 6 months for most periodic standard contracts
- Earliest you can serve it: 6 months after the occupation date
- Converted periodic contracts (from pre-2022 tenancies): the early restriction is 4 months, not 6
- Some contracts under Schedule 8A only need 2 months' notice, using a different form
- The tenant leaving isn't automatic, if they stay past the date, you still need a court possession order
What must a written statement of the occupation contract include?
The law sets out four categories: key matters (landlord and contract-holder names, the property address, rent), fundamental terms (possession procedures, repair obligations, and other terms Parliament has fixed), supplementary terms (day-to-day practical matters), and additional terms (anything specifically negotiated, such as a pets clause).
What happens if I don't issue a written statement?
Leaving a contract-holder without a written statement is a breach of your obligations under the Act. What follows depends on the circumstances, so if you know one of your properties is missing one, take advice from the NRLA or a solicitor rather than guessing at the consequences or hoping it never comes up.
The Landlord Mate tracks your written statement status and Section 173 timing windows alongside your certificates, so nothing here relies on remembering dates from 2022.
Start Free Trial →Frequently asked questions
Do I need to issue a new occupation contract every time I renew a tenancy?
No. Most contracts in Wales run as periodic (rolling) contracts rather than fixed terms that need reissuing, so once the written statement is issued correctly at the start, it usually doesn't need replacing at renewal, only updating if the terms genuinely change.
Can I still evict a tenant for rent arrears in Wales?
Yes, fault-based grounds including rent arrears still exist alongside the no-fault Section 173 route, with their own separate notice periods and evidence requirements. Section 173 is the no-fault option, not the only option.
Does the occupation contract rule apply to lodgers or holiday lets?
Generally no. Lodger arrangements, genuine holiday lets, and certain business tenancies fall under Schedule 1 exemptions and sit outside the standard occupation contract framework, though the exact exemption needs checking case by case rather than assumed.
Is an occupation contract the same thing as a tenancy agreement?
They serve the same basic purpose, but occupation contract is the correct legal term in Wales since 1 December 2022, replacing assured shorthold tenancies and their notice periods, grounds for possession, and terminology with a new framework under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.