Landlord licensing in Vale of Glamorgan Council

Licensing at a glance

HMO licensing

Mandatory HMO licensing applies to larger shared houses in Wales. All landlords and agents must register with Rent Smart Wales, and if self-managing, also obtain a Rent Smart Wales licence.

Additional licensing

Additional licensing schemes can be introduced by the council to extend licensing to smaller HMOs in designated areas. This is in addition to the Rent Smart Wales registration and licensing requirements.

Selective licensing

Selective licensing schemes may be introduced by the council in designated areas. These apply to all privately rented properties in the specified area, in addition to Rent Smart Wales registration and licensing.

Towns covered

Vale of Glamorgan

What this means for you

If you let a property in the Vale of Glamorgan Council area, the first job is to confirm which licensing regime the exact address falls under. Mandatory HMO licensing applies to larger shared houses, and every landlord and agent must also register (and be licensed to self-manage) with Rent Smart Wales. Additional licensing can extend licensing to smaller HMOs in designated areas, on top of Rent Smart Wales duties. Selective licensing may apply in designated areas in addition to Rent Smart Wales licensing. Designations, fees and boundaries in Wales can change, so check the council's own licensing pages before each new tenancy rather than relying on what applied last time. Welsh lets are governed by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016: occupation contracts, written statements within 14 days, and fitness for human habitation duties including electrical safety and alarms. Maintain an evidence pack for every Vale of Glamorgan Council tenancy, including a current gas safety record where there is gas, an EICR no more than five years old, a valid EPC, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and deposit protection with prescribed information.

Official links

• Licensing pages
• Council website