Petition Make landlords and letting agents record rental application outcomes so discrimination can be proven
We call on the Welsh Government to require landlords and letting agents in Wales to record the outcome of every rental application, including whether the applicant declared benefits, a disability or children, and report it to Rent Smart Wales. Records should be held securely so councils can investigate individual cases and applicants can request their own, with names removed from any published figures.
More details
Since 1 June 2026 it has been illegal in Wales to refuse tenants because they get benefits or have children. Disability and sex are protected under the Equality Act 2010. But the law only works if discrimination can be proven, and right now it almost never can.
Rent Smart Wales regulates landlords and Shelter Cymru gives legal help, but nobody oversees the first step of renting: applying. A person can be turned down dozens of times with no reason given and no record kept. One refusal proves nothing.
Agents already know who is on benefits, as they ask for proof of income such as Universal Credit or PIP letters. That is used to make decisions but never recorded in a way anyone can check. The only data on who gets homes sits with private sites like Zoopla.
A secure record held by Rent Smart Wales would show patterns single cases cannot, let councils investigate specific agents, and give tenants evidence if refused unfairly. Without it, the June 2026 protections exist on paper only.
At 250 signatures...
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At 10,000 signatures...
Petitions with more than 10,000 signatures will be considered for a debate in the Senedd