Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, and Shadow Minister with responsibility for housing, has called for reform of Rent Smart Wales (RSW).
Her calls come at a time when landlords in Wales are leaving the rental sector, and there is an acute shortage of houses to rent across the nation.
It is eight years since RSW was established under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 to ensure compliance with legislation affecting the private rented sector.
With the first licenses obtained by RSW now being renewed, the Shadow Minister has been clear that it is time to ascertain how RSW is operating and how it can be improved.
Commenting on Rent Smart Wales, Janet said:
“Less than half of landlords have reported that finding information about how to comply with new duties under Rent Smart Wales was easy. At the same time, 49% reported it being difficult or very difficult to register with RSW, whilst 46% said that it was difficult or very difficult to find information about RSW.
“It has also been found that more than four in ten tenants are unaware of the existence of RSW.
“It is clear to me from speaking to tenants and landlords that RSW is not delivering for the rental sector. In fact, even today, RSW is reporting that they are currently unable to provide a telephone service and that such a situation may be the case for some time.
“I agree with the National Residential Landlords Association that the Welsh Government should make a number of changes to ensure that RSW works for both tenants and the majority of good, responsible landlords in Wales who adhere to their legal duties.
“Eight years on from the founding of RSW it is time for the Welsh Government to:
- See RSW publish annual performance statistics that help give a clearer picture of how it is performing and inform policy making more widely;
- Establish a new board comprised of figures from across the sector, including tenant and landlord bodies, which would have oversight of the work of RSW and the power to prepare reports and make recommendations to the Welsh Government;
- Ensure that RSW is subject to an independent final evaluation by Audit Wales to establish if it is meeting its objectives and delivering value for money.
“If the Welsh Government does not start taking steps to support good and responsible landlords, the housing crisis and rocketing reliance on temporary accommodation in Wales is going to get worse”.
ENDS
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Aberconwy a Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid â chyfrifoldeb am dai, wedi gofyn am ddiwygio Rhentu Doeth Cymru.
Daw ei galwadau ar adeg pan fo landlordiaid yng Nghymru yn gadael y sector rhentu a bod prinder mawr o dai i’w rhentu ledled y wlad.
Sefydlwyd Rhentu Doeth Cymru wyth mlynedd yn ôl o dan Ddeddf Tai (Cymru) 2014 i sicrhau cydymffurfiaeth â deddfwriaeth sy’n effeithio ar y sector rhentu preifat.
Mae’r trwyddedau cyntaf a gafodd eu sicrhau gan Rhentu Doeth Cymru yn cael eu hadnewyddu, ac mae Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid wedi datgan ei bod yn hen bryd canfod sut mae Rhentu Doeth Cymru yn gweithredu a sut i’w wella.
Wrth siarad am Rhentu Doeth Cymru, meddai Janet:
“Mae llai na hanner landlordiaid Cymru wedi dweud ei bod yn hawdd dod o hyd i wybodaeth am sut i gydymffurfio â’r dyletswyddau newydd o dan Rhentu Doeth Cymru. Hefyd, nododd 49% ei bod yn anodd neu’n anodd iawn cofrestru gyda Rhentu Doeth Cymru, a dywedodd 46% ei bod yn anodd neu’n anodd iawn dod o hyd i wybodaeth amdano.
“Hefyd, mae wedi dod i’r amlwg nad yw mwy na phedwar o bob deg tenant yn gwybod am fodolaeth Rhentu Doeth Cymru.
“Ar ôl siarad â thenantiaid a landlordiaid, mae’n amlwg i mi nad yw Rhentu Doeth Cymru yn cyflawni ar gyfer y sector rhentu. Mewn gwirionedd, hyd yn oed heddiw, mae Rhentu Doeth Cymru yn nodi nad yw’n gallu darparu gwasanaeth ffôn ar hyn o bryd, ac y gallai’r sefyllfa hon bara am beth amser.
“Rwy’n cytuno â Chymdeithas Genedlaethol Landlordiaid Preswyl bod angen i Lywodraeth Cymru gyflwyno nifer o newidiadau i sicrhau bod Rhentu Doeth Cymru yn cyflawni ar gyfer tenantiaid a’r rhan fwyaf o landlordiaid da, cyfrifol sy’n cydymffurfio â’r dyletswyddau cyfreithiol.
“Wyth mlynedd ar ôl sefydlu Rhentu Doeth Cymru, mae’n hen bryd i Lywodraeth Cymru wneud y canlynol:
- Sicrhau bod Rhentu Doeth Cymru yn cyhoeddi ystadegau perfformiad blynyddol sy’n helpu i ddarparu gwybodaeth fanylach am sut mae’n perfformio ac yn llywio’r broses o lunio polisïau yn ehangach;
- Sefydlu bwrdd newydd sy’n cynnwys unigolion o bob cwr o’r sector, gan gynnwys sefydliadau tenantiaid a landlordiaid, er mwyn goruchwylio gwaith Rhentu Doeth Cymru a pharatoi adroddiadau a gwneud argymhellion i Lywodraeth Cymru;
- Sicrhau bod Archwilio Cymru yn cynnal gwerthusiad terfynol annibynnol o Rhentu Doeth Cymru er mwyn penderfynu a yw’n cyflawni ei amcanion ac yn sicrhau gwerth am arian.
“Oni bai bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn dechrau cymryd camau i gefnogi landlordiaid da a chyfrifol, bydd yr argyfwng tai a’r ddibyniaeth gynyddol ar lety dros dro yng Nghymru yn gwaethygu”.
DIWEDD
