Another new rule for Landlords in Wales

New rules coming into effect in Wales from the end of February will mean landlords will require planning permission to convert a house from use as a single household to a shared rental property of 3 to 6 unrelated people, commonly known as Homes for Multiple Occupancy (HMO)

Landlords will need to pay a fee of £380 upfront when they apply for the planning permission, this is similar to the way the scheme works in England, there will be no guarantee that permission will be granted however.

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) Vice Chairman for Wales, Douglas Haig reportedly said: “All the evidence shows that Wales needs more, not less rented housing. It beggars belief therefore that landlords are being clobbered once again, expected to pay up for planning permission to convert the use of properties.

“The reality is that landlords will have little option other than to raise rents or exit the market altogether faced with the growing costs of renting housing. Either way, it is tenants who will lose out.

“We call on the government to think again about these planning changes which will simply become a cash cow for local authorities.”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Prime London buyer demand strengthens in Q2

aThe latest Prime London Demand Index by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, reveals that buyer demand across London’s prime property market strengthened during the second quarter of 2026, with overall demand reaching 14.5%. The capital’s family-focused prime neighbourhoods continued to lead the way, with Clapham, Wandsworth, and Chiswick among the strongest performing…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage rates fall at fastest pace in almost two years

Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data reveals fixed mortgage rates have recorded their biggest monthly reductions since October 2024. Product choice rose and the churn of mortgage deals was stable. Fixed mortgage rates dropped for a consecutive month, citing the biggest monthly reductions since October 2024, with the average two- and five-year fixed rates…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 13/7/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   How Prevou created the world’s most enthusiastic salesperson for estate agents   A fly on the wall analysis of how and why successful technology companies solve big problems for small estate agencies in the UK Every successful business starts with a problem. For Prevou, that…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Landlords and tenants advised to work together to get through extreme heatwaves

With some areas set to be hotter than Portugal this week, lettings and estate agents across the UK are issuing advice to protect properties ahead of extreme weather Prolonged periods of hot weather across the UK are placing additional pressure on homes, from overheating and poor ventilation to damage caused by extreme temperatures. Today, lettings…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Nearly half of UK home listings fail to sell

A London estate agent has warned that thousands of homeowners across the UK are pricing themselves out of the market by setting asking prices that no longer reflect what buyers are willing to pay. The warning comes after new analysis by Zoopla, covering more than two million property listings between 2023 and 2026, found that…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Lowest number of new build developments coming to market since 2017

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that the number of new build housing developments coming to market is at its lowest level since January 2017 The figures are despite the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament Higher mortgage rates continue to set a challenging…
Read More