Serving a possession notice in Wales
Last reviewed 5th December 2023: removed references to RHW17.
Introduction
The introduction of Renting Homes (Wales) has altered most of the rules and regulations that landlords have to follow when letting a property. Some of the most significant changes are to the way a landlord seeks possession.
As of 1 December 2022, Section 21 and Section 8 notices no longer exist in Wales and cannot be served anymore. Both have been replaced by new notices, with new rules around when they can be served, how long the notice should be, and what restrictions apply.
Applications to court will also change, with new updated forms that landlords will need to familiarise themselves with.
This page acts as a guide for the various different possession procedures landlords will have to follow with standard contracts.
Warning
Please note that, at the time of writing new laws have introduced a lot of uncertainty to the possession process, particularly where the contract-holders moved in before 1 December 2022. Landlords in Wales also cannot access Possession Claim Online for rent arrears claims.
With that in mind, the NRLA strongly advises landlords to use a solicitor or an eviction specialist when seeking possession at the moment. As case law develops and more of the necessary forms are published it will become easier for landlords to seek possession themselves, but at the moment legal representation would be extremely helpful.
The rest of this page provides guidance on topics such as -
- which notices can be served
- when the notices can be served
- restrictions on serving notices
- the different notices available to certain converted contracts