Housing (Wales) Act 2014
| Long title | An Act of the National Assembly for Wales to provide for the regulation of private rented housing; to reform the law relating to homelessness; to provide for assessment of the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers and to require local authorities to meet those needs; to make provision about the standards of housing provided by local authorities; to abolish housing revenue account subsidy; to allow fully mutual housing associations to grant assured tenancies; to make provision about council tax payable for empty dwellings; and for other housing purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2014 anaw 7 |
| Introduced by | Carl Sargeant AM, Minister for Housing and Regeneration |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 17 September 2014 |
Status: Current legislation | |
The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 (Welsh: Deddf Tai (Cymru) 2014) (anaw 7) is an act of the National Assembly for Wales relating to private tenancy, homelessness, the provision of housing for Gypsy and Traveller people, social housing, and council tax on second homes.
Background
Research by Pete Mackie’s into homelessness legislation in Wales led to the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.[1]
Provisions
Private tenancy
Landlords are required to be "fit and proper".[2] The act requires that all landlords be licensed and that this license requires compliance with a code of practice.[2] The licensing authority can also impose other requirements.[2]
Homelessness
The act places a duty on local authorities to prevent homelessness from occurring and help find accommodation for everyone who has sought assistance.[3] The act requires local authorities to provide accommodation for those considered "intentionally homeless" - those who have left suitable accommodation and those who have been evicted for anti-social behaviour.[4]
Provision of housing for Gypsy and Traveller people
The act puts a requirement on councils to provide with accommodation for Gypsy and Traveller people, which meets their needs.[5]
Social housing
The act removes Wales from the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy and requires the Welsh Government to develop a suitable replacement policy.[2]
The act allows fully mutual housing associations to grant assured tenancies.[2]
The act places a cap on rent rises for social housing.[6]
Council tax on empty homes
The act allows local authorities to introduce an increased rate of council tax on empty homes.[2]
Further developments
The act led to the passage of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.[7]
A similar homelessness prevention policy was subsequently trialled in Canada.[8]
Reception
In 2025, the Salvation Army called for England to be covered by similar legislation.[7]
Shelter Cymru supported the implementation of the provisions relating to homelessness in 2014.[9]
References
- ^ Mackie, Peter. "Reforming homelessness legislation in Wales". Cardiff University. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ a b c d e f Kells, Vicky (2014-10-31). "The Housing (Wales) Act: key points". Local Government Lawyer. Archived from the original on 2025-05-21. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ Mackie, Peter (2016-03-15). "Welsh homelessness reforms show the way for England and Northern Ireland". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ "Intentionally homeless people get help under new rules". BBC News. 2019-12-02. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ "Concern over Gypsy and traveller site provision in Wales". BBC News. 2016-07-27. Archived from the original on 2022-08-12. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ Delahunty, Stephen (2023-11-24). "A new housing quality standard and rent cap for Wales". Inside Housing. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ a b Connell, Andrew; Bushnell, Jez (2025-05-19). "How Wales is showing the way for England on homelessness with one simple change". Big Issue. Archived from the original on 2025-05-19. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ Wood, Patrick (2019-08-07). "Homelessness 'duty to assist' law could force government to help those in crisis". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ "Law to prevent homelessness comes into force". BBC News. 2015-04-27. Archived from the original on 2015-06-02. Retrieved 2025-05-21.