Rent Smart Wales – How to Register as a Landlord
Landlords and agents in Wales need to be registered with, and licensed by, Rent Smart Wales. Here we will explain what it is, how it works and how to register with Rent Smart Wales.
Article Updated: August 2025
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by Robert Jones, Founder of Property Investments UK
With two decades in UK property, Rob has been investing in buy-to-let since 2005, and uses property data to develop tools for property market analysis.
What is Rent Smart Wales?
Landlord and agent registration and licensing are compulsory in Wales.
Rent Smart Wales says that it assists those who let or manage rental properties in Wales to comply with their Housing (Wales) Act 2014 obligations and provides advice on renting out safe and healthy homes.
In simple terms Rent Smart Wales is a centralised landlord registration and licensing scheme for all of Wales. It is run in partnership with the 22 local authorities in Wales.
The overall aim is to improve property standards, management practices and relationships between landlords, agents and tenants in Wales.
Rhentu Doeth Cymru is Welsh for Rent Smart Wales. Their website is available in Welsh here.
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How Does Rent Smart Wales Actually Work?
This is aimed at landlords and agents, so homeowners and rent-to-buy property buyers do not need to register.
Rent Smart Wales has both a registration function and a licensing function.
Who needs to register?
- Landlords who own a rental property in Wales need to register with Rent Smart Wales, no matter where they are based.
- Landlords who own but do not manage a rental property in Wales need to register but they do not need a licence. (These landlords must appoint a licensed agent to manage their properties.)
Who needs a licence?
- Landlords who manage their own property in Wales need to be licensed by Rent Smart Wales.
- Agents who manage a property on behalf of a landlord, whether as an individual or as a letting agent, need to be registered with and licensed by Rent Smart Wales.
Who are exempt?
- Landlords who are based in Wales but who have properties outside Wales do not need to register or obtain a licence as regards those properties.
- Rent Smart Wales only applies to those who own or let a privately rented property on domestic tenancies (now known as contracts).
- It does not apply to the letting of commercial property.
- There are also some other exemptions, such as holiday lets.
Registration Process
Anyone who is the immediate landlord of a property in Wales should register directly with Rent Smart Wales. Agents will also be registered separately and cannot register on behalf of a landlord.
The landlord registration process involves providing the landlord's personal details, property ownership details and rental property addresses, and the details of those responsible for the letting and/or management activities at the rental property.
A landlord could be an individual, several individuals owning a property jointly, a company, a charity or a trust.
Registration Cost
The cost is meant to be affordable and the fees are currently (as of 2025)
- £102 for a new landlord registration (per landlord not per property) - Reduced to £60 if completed online
- £87 for an existing landlord renewal (per landlord not per property) - Reduced to £48 if completed online
How long is the Rent Smart Wales registration for?
The registration lasts 5 years, although you should update any changes to your property ownership (for example if you buy or sell a property) and if you change letting agent, to ensure your membership is fully up to date and all properties can be correctly identified by Rent Smart Wales.
Licencing Process
Landlords who self-manage and who undertake letting activities and management work at rental properties in Wales are legally required to have a Rent Smart Wales Licence.
These lettings activities include conducting viewings as well as setting up a tenancy. Management activities include collecting rent and arranging maintenance.
The licence application process involves providing the landlord's personal details, a list of all employees, and evidence that the applicant and what is known as connected users have completed the mandatory training.
Licence Cost
The cost is meant to be affordable and the fees are currently (as of 2025)
- £327 for a new or existing landlord registration (per landlord not per property) - Reduced to £254 if completed online
- £302 for renewals completed 42 days or more prior to their expiry date (called an early compliance reward. per landlord not per property) - Reduced to £230 if completed online
How long is the Rent Smart Wales licence for?
Rent Smart Wales applications can take up to 8 weeks to be reviewed and decided and once granted last up to 5 years.
Every licence is issued with a set of conditions that a landlord or agent must follow. Failure to abide by these conditions could mean that the licence will be revoked and the landlords must stop all letting activity or be in breach of the rent smart Wales conditions.
Compliance with the Code of Practice is a condition attached to every licence. The Code of Practice lists all the legal requirements that licensees must comply with at every milestone throughout a rental contract.
Does Rent Smart Wales Cover HMO Licensing?
No, Rent Smart Wales does not handle HMO licensing, so calculating your HMO rental costs isn't the only thing you need to consider as a landlord in Wales.
Licensing, registration and article 4 planning are also part of the day-to-day requirements. So you need to make sure these are all in place and registration with Rent Smart Wales as well as any local HMO council licensing requirements.
Landlord Training
Applicants and connected persons who conduct letting and management activities must complete approved Rent Smart Wales training before making an application for a landlord or agent licence.
Evidence that the training has been completed must be provided with the licence application.
Training can be completed either through Rent Smart Wales’ training courses or through an approved external training provider.
Rent Smart Wales training costs from £60 for online training and £100 for in-person classroom training for landlords.
Penalties for Failing to Comply
Rent smart Wales have an enforcement team to help ensure properties and landlords that should be registered are, and the high standards set for properties are maintained.
A failure to register or providing false or misleading information on a registration or licence application are offences and can lead to:
- a fixed penalty notice of up to £150 or £250
- prosecution and unlimited fines
- a rent repayment order or rent stopping order
- as well as a landlords right to take possession of their property being restricted