For a periodic standard occupation contract, section 123 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 lets the landlord vary the rent by notice: at least two months before the new rent takes effect, and not more than once in any 12-month period. The notice must be in the prescribed form, RHW12, Notice of Variation of Rent, set by the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022.
The LetSafe Rent Variation Notice (Wales) pack (LS-W-010) provides RHW12 as an editable DOCX and typeset PDF with a completed example, an interval checker and a service record, in the Act's terminology, landlord and contract-holder, for £19 with free re-issue whenever the prescribed form is updated.
The section 123 rules in brief
- Two months' minimum notice between serving RHW12 and the new rent taking effect
- Once in 12 months: a variation cannot take effect within a year of the last one
- Prescribed form only: the notice must follow form RHW12; informal letters and emails do not vary the rent
- New rent, not a negotiation: the notice states the new rent; if the contract-holder will not pay it, that is a breach issue, not an arbitration
RHW12 vs a rent review clause
Fixed-term standard contracts can carry their own rent variation terms, but for the ordinary periodic standard contract the statutory notice route is the mechanism. Writing a home-made review clause into a periodic contract does not displace the Act.
If the contract needs restating anyway, for example it predates the December 2022 conversion or the June 2026 fundamental-term amendments, pair the notice with a current written statement. The Standard Occupation Contract template covers that.
What's in the pack
Reviewed against section 123 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. The review date is stamped on the document footer.
- RHW12 Notice of Variation of Rent (editable DOCX + typeset PDF)
- Completed example with dates worked through
- 12-month interval checker and two-month date calculator
- Service record block for proof of when the clock started
- Free re-issue when the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022 forms change
Frequently asked questions
What is form RHW12?+
RHW12 is the prescribed Notice of Variation of Rent for Welsh occupation contracts, set by the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022. It is the form a landlord must use to change the rent on a periodic standard contract.
How much notice is needed to increase rent in Wales?+
At least two months between service of the RHW12 notice and the date the new rent takes effect, under section 123 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
How often can I increase the rent on a Welsh occupation contract?+
Not more than once in any 12-month period for a periodic standard contract. The interval runs from the date the last variation took effect.
Is RHW12 the same as England's Section 13 notice?+
They play similar roles but are different regimes. England uses the Section 13 procedure under the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, with its own form and tribunal referral. RHW12 is Welsh law and gives no tribunal referral right; the rent stated takes effect unless the contract ends.
What if I have been calling this form RHW9?+
RHW9 is a different prescribed form (it concerns abandonment-related notices under the Act). The rent variation form is RHW12. Notices served on the wrong form risk being ineffective, which is exactly why the pack ships the current prescribed version.
This page is drafted against the legislation below. Always check the current text of the law before acting.
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 1988 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (legislation.gov.uk)