RHW notice forms in Wales: which form for which job
Which RHW form a Welsh landlord needs: RHW2, RHW17, RHW23, RHW24, RHW27, RHW28 and the rest, with timing rules and the mistakes that invalidate a notice.
By Jonathan Chan, Director, Morgan Jones Estates & Lettings · Last updated: 10 October 2026
The short answer
RHW forms are the notice forms the Welsh Government prescribes under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. A landlord must use the prescribed form, or one "substantially to the same effect", for each notice that has a prescribed form. The wrong form, or the right form served at the wrong time, can make the notice invalid and restart the clock. (Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022, reg. 3; gov.wales, Renting homes: forms for landlords; both accessed 10/10/2026)
Private landlords use these forms most:
- RHW2: your address for documents
- RHW12: rent increase
- RHW16: no-fault notice on a periodic contract, six months
- RHW20: serious rent arrears
- RHW23: breach of contract or anti-social behaviour
- RHW24: landlord's break clause
- RHW27 then RHW28: abandonment
Gov.wales lists 31 RHW forms for landlords. Most of them apply only to councils, housing associations, supported housing or other special contract types. This guide covers the ones a private landlord on a standard occupation contract uses, and the traps in each. Morgan Jones Property, a Swansea letting agent, chooses and serves these notices for the landlords it manages across South Wales.
Which RHW form for which job: quick reference
Section numbers are from the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 unless stated. "Contract-holder" is the Welsh legal term for the tenant.
| The job | Form | Under | Timing rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Give the contract-holder your address for documents | RHW2 | s.39(1) | Within 14 days of the occupation date |
| Tell the contract-holder there is a new landlord (for example after a sale) | RHW3 | s.39(2) | Within 14 days |
| Tell the contract-holder your address has changed | RHW4 | s.39(3) | Within 14 days of the change |
| Increase the rent on a periodic contract | RHW12 | s.123 | At least 2 months' notice, no more than once every 12 months. See our rent increase guide (Form RHW12) |
| End a periodic contract without giving a reason | RHW16 | s.173 | At least 6 months' notice; not in the first 6 months of occupation. See our section 173 notice guide |
| End a periodic contract without a reason, where the contract is in Schedule 8A | RHW17 | s.173 and s.174A | At least 2 months' notice |
| Withdraw a section 173 notice you already served | RHW19 | s.180(3) | Before the contract ends; after 28 days the contract-holder can object |
| Serious rent arrears (periodic or fixed-term contract) | RHW20 | s.182(1) or s.188(1) | Claim no sooner than 14 days and no later than 6 months after the notice |
| Breach of contract, including anti-social behaviour | RHW23 | s.159(1) and others | Anti-social behaviour: claim from the day of the notice. Other breaches: wait 1 month. Claim within 6 months |
| Use a landlord's break clause in a fixed-term contract | RHW24 | s.194 | At least 6 months' notice; not in the first 18 months; contract of 2 years or more |
| Warn the contract-holder you believe they have abandoned the home | RHW27 | s.220(3) | 4-week warning period, with enquiries |
| End the contract after abandonment | RHW28 | s.220(5) | Only after the RHW27 warning period ends; no court order needed |
(Sources: regulations 5 to 7, 15, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 30 and 31 of the Prescribed Forms Regulations 2022, which match each form to its section; timing rules from the sections linked below and the forms themselves on gov.wales; accessed 10/10/2026.)
At the start of a contract: RHW2
Every landlord must give the contract-holder an address where documents for the landlord can be sent, within 14 days of the occupation date. Form RHW2 is the prescribed notice. If the landlord changes (for example, you buy a let property), the new landlord uses RHW3 within 14 days. If your address changes, you use RHW4 within 14 days of the change. (s.39, accessed 10/10/2026)
This form is easy to forget, and it matters later. Section 39 is a fundamental provision, and section 39(4) links it to Schedule 9A: while the address notice is outstanding, you cannot give a no-fault notice (RHW16 or RHW17) or a break-clause notice (RHW24). A landlord who skipped RHW2 at the start can find their notice blocked years later.
The block lasts only while the address notice is missing. Schedule 9A stops a notice "at a time when" the section 39 notice has not been given, so once you serve RHW2 the block lifts. That is different from a late written statement, which carries a fixed six-month wait. (Schedule 9A para. 3 and para. 2, accessed 10/10/2026)
Changing the rent: RHW12
Form RHW12 is the prescribed notice for a rent increase on a periodic standard contract under section 123. It needs at least two months' notice, and you can use it no more than once every 12 months. We cover the full process, including the difference for contracts that converted from an old tenancy, in our guide to rent increases in Wales.
Ending a periodic contract without a reason: RHW16, RHW17 and RHW19
RHW16 is the no-fault notice for most private lets. It is given under section 173, and section 173 applies only to a periodic standard contract. The date in the notice must be at least six months after you give it. You cannot give it in the first six months of occupation. After the date in the notice passes, you have two months to make a possession claim. If you miss that window, you cannot give a new section 173 notice for six months after the window closes. (Form RHW16, ss.173, 174, 175 and 179; s.177(4) and (5); accessed 10/10/2026)
RHW17 is the same notice with a two-month minimum. It is only for contracts listed in Schedule 8A to the Act, such as supported accommodation, student accommodation let by a university or other higher education institution, service occupancies and some temporary accommodation. A private landlord who lets to students is not on that list, so the form is RHW16 and the notice is six months. Check the exact definitions in Schedule 8A before you rely on it. (Form RHW17; reg. 20; Schedule 8A para. 3; accessed 10/10/2026)
RHW19 withdraws a section 173 notice. If you withdraw within 28 days of the original notice, the contract-holder cannot object. After 28 days, they can object in writing within a reasonable period. Once you withdraw, you cannot give another section 173 notice for six months from the day of the withdrawal, except for one further notice within 28 days of the first. (s.180; s.177(2) and (3); Form RHW19; accessed 10/10/2026)
The no-fault route has a long list of other conditions. Our section 173 notice guide covers them in full.
Serious rent arrears: RHW20
Form RHW20 is the possession notice for serious rent arrears. One form covers both contract types: you tick section 182 for a periodic contract and section 188 for a fixed-term contract. "Seriously in arrears" means at least two months' rent unpaid where rent is monthly, or at least eight weeks' rent unpaid where rent is weekly, fortnightly or four-weekly. For quarterly rent, the test is at least one quarter's rent more than three months in arrears. For yearly rent, it is at least 25% of the rent more than three months in arrears. There is no pound figure in the law.
You cannot make the claim until 14 days after you give the notice, and you must make it within six months. It is a mandatory ground. But it applies only if the arrears are serious on the day you gave the notice and on the day of the hearing. If the contract-holder pays the arrears below the threshold before the hearing, the mandatory ground falls away. (Form RHW20; s.181 and s.182; accessed 10/10/2026)
RHW20 is not for introductory or prohibited conduct contracts, which use RHW21. For the steps before the notice (contact, records, a payment plan), read our rent arrears guide for Welsh landlords.
Breach of contract and anti-social behaviour: RHW23
Form RHW23 is the notice before a possession claim on the breach of contract ground (section 157). On the form, you set out the particulars of the breach and say whether you rely on section 55 (anti-social behaviour and other prohibited conduct).
The timing depends on the breach. For anti-social behaviour or other prohibited conduct, you can make the claim on or after the day you give the notice. For a breach of any other term of the contract, you must wait one month. In both cases, you must make the claim within six months of the notice. (s.159; Form RHW23; accessed 10/10/2026)
Breach of contract is a discretionary ground. The court decides whether it is reasonable to make an order, so your evidence of the breach is what counts. RHW23 is also the form for estate management grounds, and for a contract-holder who gave notice to leave and then did not go. (Understanding the possession action process: a guide for private landlords in Wales, gov.wales, accessed 10/10/2026)
Fixed-term contracts: why RHW22 is usually the wrong form
Many landlords assume Form RHW22 ends a fixed-term contract at the end of the term. For an ordinary private let, it does not. Since the 2021 amendments, the section 186 end-of-term notice applies only to fixed-term contracts listed in Schedule 9B to the Act. That list covers special cases such as supported accommodation, accommodation for homeless people, service occupancies and some temporary accommodation. The form itself says it "may only be given" for a contract within Schedule 9B. (s.186; Schedule 9B; Form RHW22; Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Act 2021, explanatory notes; accessed 10/10/2026)
So what happens on an ordinary fixed term? If the contract-holder stays after the term ends, the law treats you as having made a new periodic standard contract, starting the day after the fixed term ends (s.184). From then on, the no-fault route is RHW16 with six months' notice.
The other way to end a fixed term early is a landlord's break clause, on RHW24. The contract can only contain a landlord's break clause if it is for a term of two years or more (or is listed in Schedule 9C). You cannot give the notice in the first 18 months of occupation, and the notice must be at least six months. (s.194, s.195 and s.196; Form RHW24; accessed 10/10/2026)
RHW25 is the two-month version of the break-clause notice. It applies to contracts in Schedule 8A, or to a converted contract whose old fixed-term tenancy already had a landlord's break clause.
Abandonment: RHW27, then RHW28
If you believe the contract-holder has left for good, you cannot simply change the locks. You give RHW27 first. It tells the contract-holder that you believe they have abandoned the home, and that they must tell you in writing before the end of a four-week warning period if they have not. During those four weeks you must make the enquiries needed to satisfy yourself that they really have gone.
If you are satisfied at the end of the warning period, you give RHW28. The contract ends when you give that notice, and you can recover possession without court proceedings. You must give a copy of both notices to any lodger or sub-holder. (s.220; Form RHW27 and Form RHW28; accessed 10/10/2026)
No court order does not mean no risk. The contract-holder can apply to court within six months of the RHW28 notice. They can apply on any of three grounds. You skipped the RHW27 warning or the enquiries. You had no reasonable grounds to believe they had gone. Or they had not abandoned the home and had a good reason for not responding. The court can then declare the RHW28 notice of no effect, so the contract continues, or order you to provide suitable alternative accommodation. Keep a dated record of every enquiry you make. (s.222, accessed 10/10/2026)
Before you serve: what makes a notice invalid
The no-fault notices (RHW16, RHW17, RHW18), the Schedule 9B end-of-term notice (RHW22) and the break-clause notices (RHW24, RHW25) cannot be given while any of these are outstanding. The list comes from Schedule 9A to the Act, as printed on the forms:
- Failure to provide the written statement of the contract, and a six-month restriction where it was provided late
- Failure to provide information: the section 39 address notice (RHW2)
- Failure to provide a valid energy performance certificate
- Breach of the security and deposit requirements
- Prohibited payments and holding deposits under the Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019
- Failure to make sure working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are installed
- Failure to supply the electrical condition report
- Failure to provide the gas safety report to the contract-holder
Further bars sit outside the Act. These notices cannot be given unless the Rent Smart Wales requirements in section 44 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 are met. The landlord must be registered. The landlord must also hold a licence, or have appointed a licensed agent to carry out all the property management work for that home. A notice also cannot be given for an HMO that should be licensed and is not (Housing Act 2004, s.75A), or for a house that needs a selective licence and does not have one (s.98A). These bars also cover the RHW38 notice for a converted fixed-term contract. (Form RHW16, "Restrictions on giving this notice"; Housing (Wales) Act 2014, s.44; accessed 10/10/2026)
Repairs matter too. Say the contract-holder has relied on your repair or fitness-for-habitation duties. The court may decide your no-fault or break-clause claim was made to avoid those duties. It can then refuse possession as a retaliatory claim. After a refusal on a section 173 claim, you cannot give a new section 173 notice for six months. Deal with open repair requests before you serve. (s.217 and s.177A; Form RHW16; accessed 10/10/2026)
If you self-manage, check your registration and licence in our Rent Smart Wales guide before you serve anything.
RHW forms most private landlords will not need
- RHW1: notice of standard contract, for community landlords (councils and housing associations) only.
- RHW18 and RHW21: the no-fault and arrears notices for introductory and prohibited conduct standard contracts.
- RHW22: end-of-term notice for fixed-term contracts in Schedule 9B only (see above).
- RHW26: withdrawal of a break-clause notice.
- RHW29 and RHW30: ending a joint contract-holder's rights where they no longer live in the home.
- RHW38: end of term for a converted contract that was a fixed-term tenancy immediately before 1 December 2022 and is not in Schedule 9B (Schedule 12 para. 25B; reg. 41). A pre-2022 tenancy that had already rolled on to a periodic basis by that date does not qualify.
- RHW6 to RHW8, RHW15, RHW32 to RHW37: sub-occupation, supported housing, joint contract-holder orders, and introductory or prohibited conduct contracts.
Using the forms correctly
- Download the current form from gov.wales. The Regulations accept a notice "in a form substantially to the same effect as the prescribed form", but a homemade version adds risk for no benefit. Download a fresh copy each time rather than reuse an old saved one.
- Pick the form for the contract type. RHW16, RHW17 and RHW18 all end a periodic contract without a reason. The right one depends on the contract, not on your preference.
- Count from the day the notice is given. Each notice period runs from the day the contract-holder is given the notice. Keep a dated record of how and when you served it.
- Diary the claim window. Most notices have a last date for the possession claim (two months after the date in the notice for RHW16, six months after the notice for RHW20 and RHW23). A notice that expires unused is wasted. For RHW16, it also blocks a new notice for six months.
- Do not use English forms. Section 21 and section 8 notices do not apply to occupation contracts in Wales.
How Morgan Jones handles RHW notices
Morgan Jones Property is a Swansea letting agent that manages rented homes across South Wales. For the landlords we manage, we choose the right RHW form for the contract, check that nothing on the restriction list blocks it, serve it and track the court deadlines so the claim window does not lapse.
The form is only one part of a valid notice; the checks above matter as much. That is why we also make sure the things that block a notice later (RHW2 at the start, deposit protection, the safety certificates) are in place from day one.
Morgan Jones holds a Rent Smart Wales agent licence. When we manage your property, you need your own landlord registration, but not your own landlord licence.
- No setup fee, no exit fee and no minimum term.
- Every new landlord gets their first 3 months of management free.
See what is included in our full management service, or start from our landlord's guide to renting in Wales for the wider rules.
What to do next
If you have a notice to serve, or you are not sure which form applies, call Morgan Jones on 01792 651311 and talk it through with the team. You can also send us a message or visit us at Mount Pleasant Business Centre, Swansea SA1 6ED.
Sources
All accessed 10/10/2026.
- Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/244), legislation.gov.uk
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, legislation.gov.uk
- Renting homes: forms for landlords, gov.wales
- Understanding the possession action process: a guide for private landlords in Wales, gov.wales
- Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Act 2021, explanatory notes, legislation.gov.uk
Frequently asked questions
What are RHW forms?
Do I have to use the gov.wales form?
What is form RHW23 used for?
What is form RHW27?
Which form ends a fixed-term contract in Wales?
Can Morgan Jones serve an RHW notice for me?
Disclaimer
This guide is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Regulations may change. Always verify current requirements with official sources such as Rent Smart Wales or seek professional legal advice for your specific circumstances.
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