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The Welsh government has announced plans to overhaul the private rental sector, with proposals including rent controls and an end to no-fault evictions.
If introduced, the changes would give renters stronger legal protections and could limit how much landlords can increase rents.
Here, Which? explains what's being proposed, when the changes could happen and how they compare with rental reforms elsewhere in the UK.
In May, Plaid Cymru won the Welsh Senedd election and formed a minority government. Labour had won all previous Senedd elections.
The new government has pledged to reform the private rental sector in Wales. Plaid Cymru's manifesto proposed introducing legislation to:
In addition, it plans to bring forward legislation to end no-fault evictions in Wales. Currently, landlords in Wales can issue no-fault evictions with six months' notice.
No-fault evictions were abolished in Scotland in 2017 and in England on 1 May this year. They are still permitted in Northern Ireland.
Many of the proposed reforms mirror those included in the Renters' Rights Act, which is changing the private rental sector in England. For example, the Act bans rental bidding and limits the amount of rent landlords can ask tenants to pay in advance. However, plans for rent controls would go further than the reforms in England.
Scotland has already passed legislation allowing rent control areas to be introduced where rents are rising significantly.
Since 1 April 2026, local authorities in Scotland have been required to assess rent conditions in their area and report to Scottish Ministers at least once every five years. The first assessment from each local authority is due no later than 31 May 2027.
The reports will be used to determine whether to implement rent controls in the area. A rent control area designation will last for a maximum of five years, but could be removed earlier due to a change in circumstances.
If rent controls are introduced in an area, it will result in rent increases being limited to CPI plus 1%, up to a maximum of 6%. Landlords will also only be allowed to increase the rent once every 12 months in a rent control area.
On 14 July, the Welsh government set out the legislation it plans to introduce over the next four years, which included plans to strengthen the rights of people living in private rented accommodation.
At this stage, there is no more detailed timetable for when the changes could take effect. The Welsh government told Which? that it 'will set out more detail on the shape of our legislative proposals in due course'.
The government indicated that reform of the private rental sector will happen in stages: ‘The first phase will focus on strengthening our enforcement framework, enhancing the regulatory role of Rent Smart Wales, and requiring the sharing of rent data. These measures will make a difference to renters across Wales and pave the way for more substantive reforms.’
This suggests the Welsh government will take an approach similar to the UK government’s implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, with changes introduced over several years.
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The most recent legislation passed in Northern Ireland to reform the private rental sector was the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. Most elements of the Act have been implemented, including limiting the size of tenancy deposits and restricting rent increases to once every 12 months.
Two elements of the legislation are still to be introduced. Earlier this year, Stormont consulted on extending the period of notice a landlord needs to give a tenant when ending a tenancy. The result of this consultation is expected later in 2026.
Reform of energy efficiency regulations in the private rental sector is also still in progress.
The average rent in Great Britain is now £1,256 a month and is rising by 2.2%, according to the Hamptons Lettings Index.
In Wales, the average rent is £807. Average rents are increasing by 1.7% a year. However, rents for new tenants are rising faster, increasing by 2.6%.
Across Scotland, the Midlands and the North of England, rents are increasing by more than 3% a year. The North West of England is seeing the fastest rental growth, with average rents up by 4.1%.
London has the slowest rate of rental growth, but it remains the only region where the average monthly rent exceeds £2,000.
