Carers Living with Renters: Your Rights in Wales

If you rent a home in Wales and require support due to disability, age, or health needs, you may wish for a carer to live with you. Understanding your rights and responsibilities surrounding live-in carers can help you stay secure in your home and ensure your tenancy runs smoothly. This guide explains what Welsh law says about carers living with tenants, your landlord's role, and practical action steps if you need to bring a carer into your rented home.

Understanding Carers and Renting in Wales

In Wales, renting rights are governed by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016^[1]. Whether your carer is a paid professional or an unpaid family member, your ability to have them live with you depends on your tenancy agreement and the type of rental contract you hold. Often, people needing extra support receive visits from carers, but sometimes it’s necessary for a carer to move in full-time.

When Can a Carer Live with You?

• Check your contract: Many occupation contracts (the Welsh version of tenancy agreements) specify who can live in the property. You usually need your landlord’s permission before anyone moves in apart from the people named in the contract.
• Reasonable adjustments: If you’re disabled and need a carer, your landlord may have a legal duty to consider a request for a live-in carer as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010.
• Benefit entitlements: Having a carer may affect your entitlement to some benefits, such as housing costs for additional occupants.

Telling Your Landlord and Getting Consent

It’s important to contact your landlord before a carer moves in. In most cases, you’ll need written consent—unless your contract already allows this. Explain your needs, how long the carer will stay, and whether it’s a temporary or permanent arrangement. Landlords should respond in a reasonable timeframe, and must not unreasonably refuse if you require a carer due to a disability.

Legal Protections for Disabled Renters and Carers

• Reasonable Adjustments Duty: The Equality Act 2010^[2] protects disabled tenants. If you need a carer for disability-related reasons, your landlord must consider reasonable adjustments, which may include approving a live-in carer.
• Succession rights: In some cases, live-in carers may gain rights to stay in the property if the original contract-holder dies, but this depends on the type and length of the carer’s residence and ensuring proper legal steps are followed. Always seek advice if you want a carer to become a successor.

If you have been refused permission for a carer to live with you and you believe this is due to your disability, you should seek advice or consider making a complaint—see resources below.

Key Forms and Practical Steps for Renters

No special government form is required just to ask to add a carer, but you should:

• Contact your landlord in writing (email or letter), outlining why you need a carer to live with you.
• If your contract-holder status is in question after a bereavement, use the Notice of Succession Form (no specific number), which is submitted to the landlord to alert them to a claim for succession rights—such as for a carer who may have lived with the contract-holder. For example, if your parent who held the contract passes away and their long-term carer wishes to become the new contract-holder, this notice is important.
• Appeal landlord decisions through Rent Assessment Committees or the Residential Property Tribunal Wales if you feel unfairly denied rights or adjustments.

Keep all correspondence and seek support if you have concerns about discrimination or eviction as a result of needing a carer.

Which Tribunal Handles Renting Disputes?

If a dispute arises—such as a refusal of reasonable adjustments or disagreements about living arrangements—you can apply to the Residential Property Tribunal Wales for independent resolution.

1. Do I always need landlord approval for a carer to move in?
   Usually, yes. Unless your contract explicitly allows for additional occupants, you should always inform your landlord and seek written consent before a carer moves in.
2. Can a landlord refuse a live-in carer?
   Landlords should not unreasonably refuse if a carer is needed due to a disability, as this could breach the Equality Act 2010 and the reasonable adjustments duty.
3. If my carer moves in, will our tenancy change?
   Generally, the main contract-holder remains responsible. Make sure to clarify whether your rent, benefits, or council tax may be affected, especially if the carer is not a close family member.
4. Can my carer inherit my tenancy if I die?
   Only in limited circumstances, and usually if they lived with you as their main home for a significant period before your death. Recording this with the landlord, and where possible, using the Notice of Succession Form, is important.
5. What if I think my landlord is acting unfairly?
   If you feel you’re being discriminated against—especially relating to a disability—you can challenge the decision, seek help from support services, and apply to the Residential Property Tribunal Wales for resolution.

Conclusion: What Renters in Wales Should Remember

• Always communicate openly with your landlord when you want a carer to move in.
• Disabled tenants are protected by law—landlords must consider reasonable requests for adjustments.
• Use official forms and support services if there is a disagreement or you face discrimination.

Having a carer can be essential for your well-being. The law in Wales encourages cooperation and inclusion, so don’t hesitate to seek help or advice if you need it.

Need Help? Resources for Renters

• Welsh Government: Housing Help
• Shelter Cymru Advice Line
• Disability Wales
• Equality and Human Rights Commission: Guide for Disabled People
• Residential Property Tribunal Wales

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1. Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
2. Equality Act 2010

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