Rent stopping order

A rent stopping order (RSO) is an enforcement sanction used in Wales under the Rent Smart Wales regime when a private landlord or their agent is not properly registered or licensed. It is made by the Residential Property Tribunal (Wales) on application from the licensing authority (Rent Smart Wales) or the Local Housing Authority (LHA) for the area where the property is located.

The statutory basis is Section 30 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

What triggers an RSO

The Tribunal may make an RSO only if it is satisfied that one of two offences is being committed at the property: either the landlord is carrying out letting or property management activities without holding the required licence under Section 7(5) of the Act, or the landlord has appointed an unlicensed agent contrary to Section 13(3). The Tribunal does not require a criminal conviction or charge before making the order, it needs to be satisfied only that the offence is being committed.

Before applying to the Tribunal, the licensing or local housing authority must first serve a notice of intended proceedings on both the landlord and the tenant, explaining the proposed application, the reasons for it, and the effect and revocation process of an RSO. The notice must give the landlord at least 28 days to make representations. The authority may apply to the Tribunal only after that period has expired.

Effect of an RSO

Once an RSO is made, periodical payments, rent and service charges, due from the contract-holder (the Welsh term for a tenant under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016) cease to be legally payable for the period running from the date specified in the order (the "stopping date") until the date the order is revoked. The law treats those stopped amounts as if they had already been paid. This means:

A landlord cannot chase the covered period as rent arrears. Any contract-holder who has actually paid rent during the stopped period is entitled to recover it from the landlord as a debt. All other rights and obligations under the occupation contract continue unaffected, the contract-holder remains in occupation, the landlord retains ownership, and responsibilities for repair and safety continue.

The RSO is distinct from a Rent Repayment Order (RRO): an RSO is prospective, stopping rent from becoming payable for the period of non-compliance; an RRO is retrospective, requiring a landlord to repay rent that has already been received. Both are available under Welsh law for unlicensed activity, but they serve different purposes and are made on different applications. RSOs and civil penalty notices may be issued alongside each other; they are separate proceedings.

Possession restriction during non-compliance

Unregistered or unlicensed landlords in Wales also face a restriction on serving notices to end an occupation contract: Section 44 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 prevents a landlord who is in breach of the registration or licensing requirements from relying on certain notice routes to regain possession. This is a separate consequence from the RSO but operates in parallel, a landlord facing an RSO is likely also unable to serve a valid no-fault notice to leave under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 until their registration or licence is restored.

Revocation

An RSO remains in force until revoked. Under Section 31 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, the Tribunal may revoke the order on application from the licensing authority, the LHA, or the landlord, but only once it is satisfied that the relevant offence is no longer being committed. Revocation does not retrospectively restore liability for the payments that were stopped during the order's currency: the contract-holder is not required to make good any stopped payments once the order is lifted.

When revocation occurs on a landlord's application, the licensing authority must notify the contract-holder that the order has been revoked and explain the effect of revocation.

Wales compared with England

RSOs are specific to Wales and arise from the mandatory registration and licensing framework established by the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, administered by Rent Smart Wales. England has no equivalent mechanism. In England, enforcement for unlicensed landlords relies on civil penalties, Rent Repayment Orders (now extended to superior landlords under the Renters' Rights Act 2025), and, once live, the Private Rented Sector Database. Although the tools differ, both jurisdictions are moving towards a framework in which income, the ability to serve possession notices, and professional standing are linked to regulatory compliance.

August's compliance checklist covers safety certificate and licensing obligations; Welsh landlords should verify their registration and licence status directly with Rent Smart Wales to confirm there is no RSO exposure.

For a broader picture of how Welsh and English landlord registration requirements and local licensing schemes are developing, see our guide to landlord licensing in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can a landlord still evict a tenant during a rent stopping order? 

An RSO does not automatically terminate the occupation contract, and the contract-holder remains in occupation throughout. However, a landlord who is unregistered or unlicensed, the same condition that triggers an RSO, is likely also prevented from serving a valid no-fault notice to leave under Section 44 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. This means that in practice, an unlicensed landlord facing an RSO will usually be unable to use the standard no-fault possession route until their registration or licence is restored and the order revoked.

How does a landlord get an RSO revoked? 

The landlord may apply to the Residential Property Tribunal (Wales) for revocation once the underlying offence has been remedied, that is, once the landlord has obtained the required Rent Smart Wales registration and, where applicable, the property management licence. The Tribunal will revoke the order if satisfied the offence is no longer being committed. The licensing authority must then notify the contract-holder of the revocation. Payments stopped during the order's currency are not reinstated: the contract-holder is not required to pay them after revocation.

Is a rent stopping order the same as a Rent Repayment Order? 

No. Both are enforcement tools available in Wales for unlicensed activity, but they operate differently. An RSO is made prospectively. It stops rent from becoming legally payable from a future date until the order is revoked. An RRO is made retrospectively: it requires the landlord to repay rent already received during a period when an offence was being committed. A landlord may, in theory, face both in respect of the same non-compliance, covering different periods.