Holiday-let landlords in Wales will have to register their properties next year and collect a £1.30 per-person, per-night fee from guests.
The Welsh government has passed the Visitor Levy Bill which lets councils introduce a charge on overnight stays, with all funds reinvested to help councils cover the costs associated with hosting visitors such as street cleaning, waste collection, and maintaining toilets.
The law also creates a national register for all visitor accommodation providers operating in Wales, which will be run by The Welsh Revenue Authority. There is no cost to register and, from Autumn 2026, anyone charging visitors to stay overnight in Wales must sign up.
The earliest possible date a levy could be introduced by councils opting to do so would be 2027.
Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford says it’s a small contribution that will make a big difference. “This historic legislation gives Wales the same tools used so successfully by destinations all over the world to balance the benefits and pressures of tourism between visitors and residents,” he adds.
The fee will not cover stays of more than 31 days and therefore does not affect the short lets rental sector. However, the fee is more than the £1.25 originally suggested and will add to the cost of going on holiday in Wales, particularly for larger groups renting homes for several weeks.
Last month LandlordZONE reported that owners of holiday lets in North Wales have been handed huge council tax demands after failing to realise the country’s new minimum occupancy rules for holiday lets - 182 days let per year to qualify for business rates - were retrospective.
Edinburgh will become the first place in the UK to introduce a tourist tax when its scheme goes live on 1st October, applying to bookings made on or after that date.
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