Wales Compliance Guide
How do I renew my Rent Smart Wales licence?
Direct answer: both registration and a landlord licence last 5 years. You can renew from 84 days before expiry, and renewing early keeps your original anniversary date rather than resetting it. Online renewal costs £48 for registration or £254 for a landlord licence (£230 if you apply 42+ days before expiry). Paper applications cost more.
The 5-year cycle is easy to lose track of precisely because it's so long. Most landlords check their certificates every year without thinking, but a licence that renews once every half-decade slips past far more easily, and Rent Smart Wales does chase you, but it's still your registration or licence that lapses if you don't act.
What's the difference between Rent Smart Wales registration and a licence?
Registration is required for every landlord with a privately rented property in Wales, full stop. A licence is only required if you personally carry out letting or management tasks, meaning showings, collecting rent, arranging repairs, and so on. If a managing agent does all of that for you, you need registration but not a licence.
How much does Rent Smart Wales renewal cost?
| Type | Online | Paper / standard |
|---|---|---|
| Registration renewal | £48 | £87 |
| New registration | £60 | £102 |
| Landlord licence renewal (standard) | £254 | — |
| Landlord licence renewal (42+ days early) | £230 | — |
Fees above are the online rates published by Rent Smart Wales, checked September 2026. Postal applications cost more, and fees change, so check the current schedule on rentsmart.gov.wales before you apply.
When can I renew early, and does it change my renewal date?
You can apply from 84 days before your registration or licence expires. If you renew early, the new 5-year period starts the day after your previous one expires, not the day you applied, so your anniversary date stays fixed rather than drifting forward every cycle.
What training do I need before I renew?
You need training completed within the year before you submit your application, or Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points built up since your last licence: 60 points for landlords, 80 for agents. Evidence of whichever route you took goes in with your renewal application.
What happens if my registration or licence expires before I renew?
If you submit a valid renewal application before expiry, you can keep working legally while Rent Smart Wales processes it. If you miss the deadline entirely and let it lapse, ring Rent Smart Wales directly rather than assuming you can simply renew late. The position isn't clearly set out publicly, and an expired licence is not a small thing to be carrying.
The Landlord Mate flags your Rent Smart Wales renewal window automatically, well before the 84-day cutoff, so it never becomes a scramble.
Start Free Trial →Frequently asked questions
Does my letting agent need their own Rent Smart Wales licence?
Yes, if they carry out letting or management work on your behalf, the agent needs their own agent licence, separate from your landlord registration. If you self-manage, the licence obligation sits with you instead, and your agent (if you use one only for finding tenants, say) may not need one at all, depending on exactly what they do.
Do I need to retake landlord training every time I renew?
Not necessarily from scratch. You need training completed within the year before you apply, or you can rely on Continuing Professional Development points collected since your last licence (60 points for landlords, 80 for agents). Either route needs evidence submitted with your renewal application.
If I sell my only rental property, do I need to stay registered with Rent Smart Wales?
No, registration exists to cover properties you currently let. Once you no longer let any property in Wales, you can let your registration lapse rather than renew it. If you buy another rental property later, you'd register again as new rather than pick up the old one.
Can The Landlord Mate remind me before my Rent Smart Wales renewal is due?
Yes, that's one of the dates it tracks automatically alongside your Gas Safety, EICR and EPC expiry dates, so a five-year renewal cycle doesn't rely on you remembering it in the middle of a much longer to-do list.