In short
- The Welsh Revenue Authority opened its register of visitor accommodation on 1 October 2026.
- If you let a home in Wales for stays of 31 nights or less, you must register. That includes a single holiday let.
- Homes already let, or starting before 31 March 2027, must be registered by 31 March 2027. After that, you register before you start taking bookings.
- Registration is free. Fines start from 1 April 2027 and can reach £1,400 per property.
- Registering is separate from the visitor levy. You must register even if your council does not charge the levy.
In this guide8 sections
Who has to register
The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025 says anyone who, as a business, provides or offers visitor accommodation in Wales must be on the register. “Offers” includes advertising a home or taking bookings for future dates, so you need to register even before the first guest arrives.
Self-catering homes, holiday cottages and Airbnb-style lets count when they are let for stays of 31 nights or less. So do hotels, guesthouses, hostels, holiday parks and camping pitches. Each property you let is registered under your name as the provider.
- A whole home let on Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo: register.
- A home let only for stays of more than 31 nights: not visitor accommodation under the Act.
- A caravan that is someone’s main home, and Gypsy and Traveller sites: not covered.
The deadlines
| Your situation | When to register |
|---|---|
| Already letting before 1 October 2026 | By 31 March 2027 |
| Starting between 1 October 2026 and 31 March 2027 | By 31 March 2027 |
| Starting after 31 March 2027 | Before you start offering or taking bookings (up to 30 days in advance) |
Once you are registered, you must tell the Welsh Revenue Authority about any change or mistake within 30 days, and ask to be taken off the register if you stop letting for 31 days in a row.
What you need to register
Registration is free. You fill in the Welsh Revenue Authority’s registration form and get a registration number for each provider. Have these ready:
- Your name, any trading name and your business address.
- Your company number, if you let through a limited company.
- For each property: its name, its address in Wales and the county or county borough it is in.
- The type of accommodation, the most guests it takes, the number of bookable units and when it is available.
The register is published, but the names and home addresses of individual owners are not, unless they agree.
Fines if you do not register
Fines apply from 1 April 2027. If a property is not registered, the first fine is £100. After that it can be £10 a day for up to 30 days, then £1,000 on the 31st day. That is up to £1,400 for each property.
The same steps apply if you do not report a change within 30 days or do not ask to come off the register when you stop. There is no fine if you have a reasonable excuse, such as a bereavement or serious illness. Not knowing the rules, or being busy, does not count.
The visitor levy is a separate decision
Each Welsh council can choose to charge a visitor levy, a charge per guest per night, and must give 12 months’ notice before it starts. For self-catering homes the rate is £1.30 per person per night. Stays of more than 31 nights are exempt.
| Council | Position on 9 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Cardiff | Charging from 1 April 2027. |
| Anglesey | Decided on 24 September 2026 not to introduce a levy for now. |
| Conwy and Gwynedd | Held off on a decision in September 2026. |
| Every other council | Not charging a levy. GOV.WALES lists only Cardiff. |
Whether or not your council charges a levy, you still have to register.
What comes after the register
The Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026 sets up a licensing scheme for visitor accommodation, starting with self-catering homes. It is not expected before 2029, once the standards are published. Keeping your safety paperwork in order now will make that step easier.
What we do about it
We register every Welsh home we run with the Welsh Revenue Authority, keep the details up to date and keep the safety paperwork in order. If your council brings in the levy, we make sure it is collected and paid.
Get my free assessmentQuestions owners ask
Do I need to register if I only let one home in Wales?
Yes. If you let it for stays of 31 nights or less, it counts as visitor accommodation and must be registered.
When is the deadline to register a holiday let in Wales?
If you were already letting before 31 March 2027, or start before then, you must register by 31 March 2027. After that, you register before you start taking bookings.
Does it cost anything to register?
No. Registration with the Welsh Revenue Authority is free.
Do I need to register if my council does not charge the visitor levy?
Yes. Registration applies across Wales, whether or not your council charges the levy.
What happens if I do not register?
From 1 April 2027 there is a £100 fine per property, then daily fines, up to £1,400 per property in total.
