Under section 173 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, a landlord can end a periodic standard occupation contract without giving a reason, the Welsh equivalent of what Section 21 used to be in England. The differences are material: the minimum notice is six months, the notice cannot be given during the earliest months of the contract, and for contracts subject to the standard six-month notice requirement the prescribed form is RHW16 under the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022.
The LetSafe Section 173 Landlord-Break Notice pack (LS-W-011) carries the notice in the current prescribed form with a timing calculator and serving checklist, drafted in the Act's own terminology, contract-holder, not tenant, dwelling, not property, for £19 with free re-issue when the prescribed form changes.
The timing rules that catch landlords out
A section 173 notice fails if any of these are wrong:
- Six months' minimum notice: the date specified cannot be less than six months after the notice is given
- No early service: the notice cannot be given within the first six months of occupation, so the earliest a contract-holder can be required to leave under section 173 is around twelve months in
- Prescribed form: contracts on the standard six-month notice regime use form RHW16; a home-made letter is not a valid section 173 notice
- Withdrawal bar: withdraw a section 173 notice and, subject to a narrow exception, you cannot serve another for six months (section 177)
- Compliance gates: deposit protection, licensing under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 (Rent Smart Wales), and required certificates must be in order or the notice is vulnerable
Section 173 vs the fault-based routes
Section 173 is the no-reason route. If the contract-holder is in serious rent arrears or in breach, Wales provides separate possession claims, including the section 157 route for serious breach, which can be faster than waiting out a six-month break notice.
The pack includes a one-page decision aid comparing section 173 against the breach routes so you pick the notice that actually gets possession soonest for your facts.
What's in the pack
Reviewed against sections 173 to 177 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. The review date is stamped on the document footer.
- Section 173 notice in the current prescribed form (editable DOCX + typeset PDF)
- Timing calculator: earliest service date, earliest possession date, withdrawal bar
- Serving checklist with proof-of-service record
- Decision aid: section 173 vs serious-breach possession
- Free re-issue when the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 rules or the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022 forms change
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a Section 173 notice require?+
Six months minimum for a periodic standard contract. The date specified in the notice cannot be less than six months after the day the notice is given, and the notice cannot be given in the first six months of occupation.
Is there a prescribed form for a Section 173 notice?+
Yes. For a periodic standard contract on the six-month notice regime the prescribed form is RHW16, set by the Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022. Using the wrong form risks the notice being invalid.
Is Section 173 the same as Section 21?+
It plays the same no-fault role Section 21 played in England before the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished it, but the Welsh rules are stricter: six months' notice instead of two, restrictions on early service, and a bar on re-serving after withdrawal.
Can I serve a Section 173 notice if I haven't protected the deposit?+
No. Deposit protection, Rent Smart Wales registration and licensing under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, and the required statutory documents need to be in order, otherwise the notice is open to challenge and possession can be refused.
What if the contract-holder doesn't leave when the notice expires?+
You apply to the court for a possession order; the notice itself does not end the occupation. Possession claims must be issued within the notice's validity window, the pack's timing calculator covers this.
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)
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Renting Homes (Prescribed Forms) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing (Wales) Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk)