The new landlord is legally required to confirm who they are, contact detail and address for service of documents and obviously bank details. It doesn’t seem to be an official form, a letter or possibly an email providing the information should be sufficient. There are templates online. In our case I have a pdf letter that I will be emailing to them and asking for acknowledgement. I am doing it in advance once I have definite confirmation of the transfer date. Easier that way so they can use the new bank details right away. You say they have 2 weeks. That could be right, I haven’t looked into that aspect.
Just tell them they need to send you this form, completed
And quote this
"Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, a change of landlord requires specific prescribed statutory forms to legally notify your contract-holders (tenants). You must use Form RHW3 to notify contract-holders of a change in the landlord’s identity, or Form RHW4 if only the landlord’s address changes "
Furthermore you can explain that until an address is provided you are entitled to withhold the rent (back rent would be due one address is provided) - see
I did, I’ve sent so much. It’s been silent since I told them to get their legal team to check the rules so I guess it’s just a waiting game. Shelter have been amazing.
Don’t worry. LL probably checking if you are right and may or may not yet have asked a lawyer. Lawyers take time anyway. LL has been given idea that new contract needed, maybe someone on a forum has suggested it. So following your points they are checking. It’s worth being open to having a new contract if LL can explain what isn’t ideal with current one from their pov. If it was a new fixed term it could give you more security if you wanted that (but tie you in)
None of the things you’ve raised are exactly urgent from LL point of view after all you are still paying the rent. Not everyone is as on top of or prioritises doing all the paperwork immediately or answering questions straight away. I’d be more concerned if they were bad about doing repairs…
I’d be more concerned if they were still saying you need to have a new contract despite what you’ve sent. The lack of an immediate response is a good thing
And remember for many LLs being a LL is a side job not something they do full time
They are still insisting despite everything I’ve sent. I haven’t heard anything since I asked them to send me something that gives different information so we’ll see. They also had workmen in the building who blocked our fire exit for two days. It all concerns me tbh.
What you do next depends on how much you love the place or dont want to move. You could just let them discover their error when they try to enforce the issue after youve declined to agree a new contract. However, s21 does still operate in Wales and you may want to consider whether its worth fighting this.
Yes I know they can evict me, but they bought other flats in the block and it would look like retaliation if they don’t eviction us all. I just think they should be responsible and do things legally. we have rights they can’t just do what they want.
Nobody here is going to disagree with idea LLs should be responsible and do things legally.
Think others have mentioned risk of no fault eviction just to help you consider it, for your benefit
I do think de escalating by face to face and picking your battles is always worth thinking about. Going to tribunal or a LBA really shouldn’t be your first response to a sloppy or disorganized new LL- legal processes are slow expensive and with a new LL unless you plan to move then you should be trying to establish a reasonable working relationship to go with the financial relationship you have. It’s less stressful for everyone concerned if you can discuss issues in a business like way and not resort to legal letters and procedures unless absolutely essential.
On the workmen blocking the fire exit - did you tell them to unblock and did they refuse? Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility. If workmen refused did you raise with LL? Otherwise how will LL know and deal.with? This seems much more immediately critical than not having new LL’s address just yet or new LL being incorrect or confused about what is needed when they take over a property with tenants in situ
Definitely think RRA and info sheet will lead to more tenants knowing they have rights and asserting those; and more LLs having to be better with their paperwork. As many small LLs sell up, supply will fall and corporate LLs or those with multiple properties will buy some. Doubtful the corporations will treat tenants and their properties as well as a LL with just one property which may be their former home but the corporates will have standard processes to deal with all the legal stuff. So more bureaucracy and worse service.. is that what you meant?
If both the old and new landlords are with Openrent RentNow, its possible that OR are advising the new landlord that they must create a new tenancy to become the new landlord. We have seen this from a couple of other posts recently. Its not legally required, but OR doesnt seem to have a mechanism to automatically deal with the scenario at the moment. I would suggest you ask the landlord whether this is the case and if so, that he should request some manual intervention from OR to allow you to keep your existing tenancy.
@Dan4 (OR legal team), @mod_emma@mod_harry Please can you confirm whether tenancy @Tracy47 refers to was created by OpenRent and whether OpenRent has incorrectly advised that a new tenancy is required when LL changes, contrary to the law as quoted by @David122
Please can you confirm you will be able to change the name of the LL in the existing tenancy agreement and on the associated deposit account given the tenant is not willing to sign a new agreement and cannot legally be forced to do so.
I don’t think ot would have been done through openrent because I ended up renting another flat, not the one advertised. The contract was typical; fixed term then ongoing.
It’s easy to check the contract- if it was created through OpenRent it will say they are a party to it at start and you would have paid holding deposit, security deposit if any and balance of first month rent to OR.