English: Diolch, Llywydd. This is the fourth statutory instrument to be made under the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019. The Act creates offences for a landlord or letting agent to require certain payments in consideration of granting, renewing or continuing a standard occupation contract. Any payment of money is prohibited unless it is permitted under section 4 (1) (a) or is a permitted payment by virtue of Schedule 1 to the Act. Paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 to the Act provides that regulations may prescribe a limit on a default payment in respect of a failure by the contract holder to pay rent by the due date and specify any additional description of default. In such cases where the contract holder is at fault, the landlord may require the contract holder to make a payment in default. These regulations specify prescribed limits for certain types of payments required in the event of a default by a contract holder of a standard occupation contract in relation to late rent and the cost of changing, adding or removing a lock and replacement of a key or other security device. Following our public consultation, it was clear that these are amongst the most commonly charged default payments and, as stakeholders suggested during scrutiny of the Bill, the ones most open to abuse. In relation to late rent, the prescribed limit will be determined by regulation at the Bank of England base interest rate plus 3 per cent as an annual percentage rate, or APR, on the overall amount outstanding, seven days after the rent was due. This will prevent a landlord or agent from issuing unduly high charges for late payment of rent, which can create a cycle of debt and undermine the ability of the contract holder to sustain the tenancy. In relation to the cost of changing, adding or removing a lock and the replacement of a key or other security device, the regulations will ensure that landlords do not have to cover the cost of these when the contract holder is at fault and that contract holders are only charged the actual cost. I intend to monitor the impact of these regulations along with the Act in general; this will assist in determining whether limits needs to be placed on other default payments in the future. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch, Llywydd. Dyma'r pedwerydd offeryn statudol i'w wneud o dan y Ddeddf Rhentu Cartrefi (Ffioedd etc.) (Cymru) 2019. Mae'r Ddeddf yn ei gwneud hi'n drosedd i landlord neu asiant gosod fynnu taliadau penodol yn gydnabyddiaeth am ganiatáu, adnewyddu neu barhau â chontract meddiannaeth safonol. Gwaherddir talu unrhyw arian oni chaniateir hynny o dan adran 4 (1) (a) neu os yw'n daliad a ganiateir yn rhinwedd Atodlen 1 y Ddeddf. Mae paragraff 6 o Atodlen 1 y Ddeddf yn disgrifio y caiff rheoliadau ragnodi terfyn ar ddiffygdaliad mewn cysylltiad â methiant deiliad y contract i dalu rhent erbyn y dyddiad dyledus a nodi unrhyw ddisgrifiad ychwanegol o ddiffygdaliad. Mewn achosion o'r fath pan fo deiliad y contract ar fai, mae'n bosib y bydd y landlord yn gofyn i ddeiliad y contract wneud diffygdaliad. Mae'r rheoliadau hyn yn pennu terfynau rhagnodedig ar gyfer mathau penodol o daliadau sy'n ofynnol mewn achos o ddiffygdaliad gan ddeiliad contract meddiannaeth safonol mewn cysylltiad â rhent hwyr a chost newid, ychwanegu neu dynnu clo ac amnewid allwedd neu ddyfais ddiogelwch arall. Yn dilyn ein hymgynghoriad cyhoeddus, roedd yn amlwg bod y rhain ymhlith y diffygdaliadau a godir amlaf ac, fel yr awgrymodd rhanddeiliaid wrth graffu ar y Bil, y rhai sydd fwyaf tebygol o gael eu camddefnyddio. O ran rhent hwyr, penderfynir ar y terfyn a ragnodir drwy reoliad ar gyfradd llog sylfaenol Banc Lloegr yn ogystal â 3 y cant fel cyfradd ganrannol flynyddol, neu APR, ar y swm cyffredinol sy'n ddyledus, saith diwrnod ar ôl y diwrnod pan oedd y rhent yn ddyledus. Bydd hyn yn atal landlord neu asiant rhag codi taliadau rhy uchel am dalu rhent yn hwyr, sy'n gallu creu cylch o ddyled a thanseilio gallu deiliad y contract i gynnal y denantiaeth. O ran y gost o newid, ychwanegu neu dynnu clo ac amnewid allwedd neu ddyfais ddiogelwch arall, bydd y rheoliadau'n sicrhau na fydd yn rhaid i landlordiaid dalu'r costau hyn pan fydd deiliad y contract ar fai a chodir tâl sy'n adlewyrchu'r gost wirioneddol yn unig ar ddeiliad y contract. Bwriadaf gadw golwg ar effaith y rheoliadau hyn ynghyd â'r Ddeddf yn gyffredinol; bydd hyn o gymorth wrth benderfynu a oes angen gosod terfynau ar ddiffygdaliadau eraill yn y dyfodol. Diolch.