Wales has a specific abandonment route under the Renting Homes legislation. It is not a general permission to change locks when rent stops or the home looks empty.
Check whether the route is available
- The official guidance requires the relevant only-or-principal-home term and good reason to believe the dwelling has been abandoned.
- Non-payment or an unsecured home may prompt enquiry but is not conclusive.
- Obtain advice where occupants, a lodger or sub-holder may have rights.
Give warning and investigate
- Use the prescribed section 220 warning notice and the four-week warning period.
- Make relevant enquiries using lawfully held contact information and record every attempt and response.
- Provide copies to relevant lodgers or sub-holders as required, and do not treat silence alone as the whole investigation.
Decide and safeguard
- Only use the prescribed ending notice if the legal conditions remain satisfied after the warning and enquiries.
- Keep the full record supporting the decision.
- Follow the separate rules for safeguarding belongings, including the applicable four-week period and exceptions, with an inventory and advice where uncertain.
Example: the property looks empty
A fictional landlord sees few possessions through a window and receives no rent. That may justify enquiries, but not immediate repossession. Check the contract, use the statutory process if appropriate and investigate alternative explanations for absence.
What to do
- Check the contract condition and evidence supporting the belief of abandonment.
- Use the prescribed warning and make the required enquiries.
- Obtain advice before ending the contract and safeguard remaining property.
Evidence to keep
- Contract, factual observations, prescribed notices and service.
- Enquiry log, responses, final decision and belongings inventory.
Sources and guidance
- Possession of abandoned dwellings and safeguarding propertyWelsh Government · checked 20 October 2026
- Standard occupation contracts: guidance on the termsWelsh Government · checked 20 October 2026
Related guides
- Check the Welsh possession route before serving notice
- Use evidence when agreeing a deposit return
- What to do when a contract-holder stops paying rent in Wales
- Respond to the first missed rent payment
- Record a part payment without losing track of the rent
- Handle arrears when one joint tenant stops contributing