Written question WQ85976

Rent Smart Wales (RSW) is not a function of Welsh Government. RSW is the Lead Authority designated to deliver Part 1 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 across Wales and are based at Cardiff Council.

RSW are not closed for business and are still processing licence applications, as well as working through a backlog of correspondence from landlords and agents.

I understand that Rent Smart Wales (RSW), in common with many other organisations, has struggled to recruit staff over the past two and a half years, resulting in a shortage of front-line contact centre staff. I have been informed that due to a significant backlog of work they took the decision to close the phone line for August in order to prioritise responding to emails and processing licence applications.

RSW have recently recruited a new cohort of seven staff who will be operational in September. In the meantime, I understand RSW are offering overtime to existing staff to help to clear the backlog, as well as utilising staff resources within local authority partners.

RSW has informed my officials that access to a telephone service will be increased incrementally, focusing initially on people who have accessibility issues who cannot contact RSW in any other way. There will be a return to a full telephone service as soon as possible.