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Housing (Wales) Act 2014

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. Commentary on Sections

    1. Part 1 Regulation of Private Rented Housing

      1. Section 2 – Meaning of key terms

      2. Section 3 – Licensing authority

      3. Section 4 – Requirement for a landlord to be registered

      4. Section 5 – Exceptions to the requirement for landlord to be registered

      5. Section 6 - Requirement for landlords to be licensed to carry out lettings activities

      6. Section 7 – Requirement for landlords to be licensed to carry out property management activities

      7. Section 8 – Exceptions to requirements for landlords to be licensed

      8. Section 9 - Requirement for agents to be licensed to carry out lettings work

      9. Section 10 – Meaning of lettings work

      10. Section 11 – Requirement for agents to be licensed to carry out property management work

      11. Section 12 – Meaning of property management work

      12. Section 13 – Offence of appointing an unlicensed agent

      13. Section 14 – Duty to maintain register in relation to rental properties

      14. Section 15 – Registration by a licensing authority

      15. Section 16 – Duty to update information

      16. Section 17 – Revocation of registration

      17. Section 18 – Licences that may be granted

      18. Section 19 – Licence application requirements

      19. Section 20 – Fit and proper person requirement

      20. Section 21 - Determination of application

      21. Section 22 - Licence conditions

      22. Section 23 – Duty to update information

      23. Section 24 – Amendment of licence

      24. Section 25 – Revocation of licence

      25. Section 26 – Expiry and renewal of licence

      26. Section 27 – Licensing appeals

      27. Section 28 – Prosecution by a licensing authority or a local housing authority

      28. Section 29 – Fixed penalty notices

      29. Section 30 – Rent stopping orders

      30. Section 31 – Revocation of rent stopping orders

      31. Section 32 – Rent repayment orders

      32. Section 33 – Rent repayment orders: further provision

      33. Section 34 – Power for the Welsh Ministers to make regulations in relation to sections 32 and 33

      34. Section 35 – Offences by bodies corporate

      35. Section 36 – Requests for information from authorities and use of information by authorities

      36. Section 37 – Power to require documents to be produced or information given

      37. Section 38 – Enforcement of powers to obtain information

      38. Section 39 – False or misleading information

      39. Section 40 – Code of practice

      40. Section 41 - Guidance

      41. Section 42 – Directions

      42. Section 43 – Activity in contravention of this Part: effect on tenancy agreements

      43. Section 44 - Restriction on terminating tenancies

      44. Section 45 – Landlords who are trustees

      45. Section 46 – Regulations about fees

      46. Section 47 – Information about applications

      47. Section 48 – Giving notices etc. under this Part

      48. Section 49 – Interpretation of this Part and index of defined terms

    2. Part 2 Homelessness

      1. Section 50 - Duty to carry out a homelessness review and formulate a homelessness strategy

      2. Section 51 – Homelessness reviews

      3. Section 52 – Homelessness strategies

      4. Section 53 - Overview of this Chapter

      5. Section 54 – Application of key terms

      6. Section 55 - Meaning of homeless and threatened homelessness

      7. Section 56 – Meaning of accommodation available for occupation

      8. Section 57 – Whether it is reasonable to continue to occupy accommodation

      9. Section 58 – Meaning of abuse and domestic abuse

      10. Section 59 – Suitability of accommodation

      11. Section 60 - Duty to provide information, advice and assistance in accessing help

      12. Section 61 - Eligibility for help under this Chapter

      13. Section 62 - Duty to assess

      14. Section 63 – Notice of the outcome of assessment

      15. Section 64 - How to secure or help to secure the availability of accommodation

      16. Section 65 - Meaning of help to secure

      17. Section 66 – Duty to help to prevent an applicant from becoming homeless

      18. Section 67 – Circumstances in which the duty in section 66 ends

      19. Section 68 - Interim duty to secure accommodation for homeless applicants in priority need

      20. Section 69 – Circumstances in which the duty in section 68 ends

      21. Section 70 - Priority need for accommodation

      22. Section 71 – Meaning of vulnerable in section 70

      23. Section 72 – Power to amend or repeal provisions about priority need for accommodation

      24. Section 73 - Duty to help to secure accommodation for homeless applicants

      25. Section 74 – Circumstances in which the duty in section 73 ends

      26. Section 75 – Duty to secure accommodation for applicants in priority need when the duty in section 73 ends

      27. Section 76 – Circumstances in which the duty in section 75 ends

      28. Section 77 – Meaning of intentionally homeless

      29. Section 78 – Deciding to have regard to intentionality

      30. Section 79 – Further circumstances in which the duties to help applicants end

      31. Section 80 - Referral of case to another local housing authority

      32. Section 81 - Local connection

      33. Section 82 - Duties to applicant whose case is considered for referral or referred

      34. Section 83 – Cases referred from a local housing authority in England

      35. Section 84 – Notice that duties have ended

      36. Section 85 - Right to request review

      37. Section 86 – Procedure on review

      38. Section 87 – Effect of a decision on review or appeal that reasonable steps were not taken

      39. Section 88 – Right of appeal to county court on point of law

      40. Section 89 - Appeals against refusal to accommodate pending appeal

      41. Section 90 – Charges

      42. Section 91 - Out-of-area placement

      43. Section 92 – Interim accommodation: arrangements with private landlord

      44. Section 93 - Protection of property

      45. Section 94 - Protection of property: supplementary provisions

      46. Section 95 – Co-operation

      47. Section 96 - Co-operation in certain cases involving children

      48. Section 97 – False statements, withholding information and failure to disclose change of circumstances

      49. Section 98 – Guidance

      50. Section 99 – Interpretation of this Chapter and index of defined terms

      51. Section 100 – Consequential amendments

    3. Part 3 Gypsies and Travellers

      1. Section 101 – Assessment of accommodation needs

      2. Section 102 – Report following assessment

      3. Section 103 – Duty to meet assessed needs

      4. Section 104 – Failure to comply with duty under section 103

      5. Section 105 – Provision of information upon request

      6. Section 106 – Guidance

      7. Section 107 – Duties in relation to housing strategies

      8. Section 108 - Interpretation

      9. Section 109 – Power to amend definition of Gypsies and Travellers

    4. Part 4 Standards for Social Housing

      1. Section 111 – Standards

      2. Section 112 – Guidance

      3. Section 113 – Consultation on standards and guidance

      4. Section 114 – Information on compliance with standards

      5. Section 115 – Powers of entry

      6. Section 116 – Exercise of intervention powers

      7. Section 117 – Grounds for intervention

      8. Section 118 – Warning notice

      9. Section 119 – Power of Welsh Ministers to intervene

      10. Section 120 – Power to require local housing authority to obtain advisory services

      11. Section 121 – Power to require performance of functions by other persons on behalf of authority

      12. Section 122 – Power to require performance of functions by Welsh Ministers or nominee

      13. Section 123 – Power to direct exercise of other local housing authority functions

      14. Section 124 – General power to give directions and take steps

      15. Section 125 – Directions

      16. Section 126 – Duty to co-operate

      17. Section 127– Powers of entry and inspection

      18. Section 128 – Exemption from offences relating to service charges for social housing

      19. Section 129 – Application of duties relating to service charges to local authority tenancies

      20. Section 130 – Consequential amendments

    5. Part 5 Housing Finance

      1. Section 131 – Abolition of Housing Revenue Account subsidy

      2. Section 132 – Settlement payments

      3. Section 133 – Further payments

      4. Section 134 – Additional provision about payments

      5. Section 135 – Provision of information upon request

      6. Section 136 – Determinations under this Part

    6. Part 6 Allowing Fully Mutual Housing Associations to Grant Assured Tenancies

      1. Section 137 – Amendment of Schedule 1 to the Housing Act 1988

      2. Section 138 – Amendment of Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988

    7. Part 7 Council Tax for Certain Types of Dwellings

      1. Section 139 - Amount of tax payable for certain types of dwelling

    8. Part 8 Amendment of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993

    9. Part 9 Miscellaneous and General

      1. Sections 141 to 146.

      2. Schedule 1 – Register of Private Rented Housing

        1. Part 1 - Content of Register

        2. Part 2 – Access to Register

      3. Schedule 2 – Eligibility for help under Chapter 2 of Part 2

      4. Schedule 3 –Minor and consequential amendments

        1. Part 1 – Homelessness

        2. Part 2 – Gypsies and Travellers

        3. Part 3 – Standards for social housing

  3. Record of Proceedings in National Assembly for Wales

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Text created by the Welsh Government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes accompany all Acts of the Welsh Parliament.

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