Cardiff Visitor Levy 2027: What It Means for Guests and Property Owners

Cardiff will introduce a Visitor Levy on 1 April 2027 — a charge of £1.30 per person, per night on most overnight stays, approved by Cardiff Council in March 2026. If you take bookings for Cardiff accommodation, the date that matters is earlier: from 28 September 2026, new bookings for stays on or after 1 April 2027 must account for the levy.

I'm Pedro Reis, founder of Guesture. We manage short-term rental properties across Cardiff, Newport and South Wales, so this change affects our guests, our owners and our day-to-day operations. Here is what has been decided, what it costs, and what to do about it — without the noise.

Cardiff Visitor Levy at a glance

• Start date: 1 April 2027

• Standard rate: £1.30 per person, per night (subject to VAT where applicable)

• Reduced rate: 75p per person, per night for campsites and shared rooms such as hostels

• Applies to: paid stays of up to 31 nights in hotels, guesthouses, hostels, short-term lets, campsites and temporary event accommodation

• Booking rule: bookings taken from 28 September 2026 for stays on or after 1 April 2027 must include the levy

• Collected by: accommodation providers, paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority and passed back to Cardiff Council

• Estimated revenue: around £3.5 million per year, reinvested in Cardiff's visitor economy

What is the Cardiff Visitor Levy?

The Visitor Levy is a small, per-night charge on overnight stays in visitor accommodation. It follows Welsh legislation — which received Royal Assent in September 2025 — allowing any council in Wales to introduce a levy from April 2027, provided it consults residents and businesses first.

Cardiff is the first Welsh council to confirm one. Following a twelve-week public consultation that drew almost 2,000 responses — 62% in favour, 33% opposed — the proposal was approved by Cardiff Council's Cabinet and Full Council in March 2026.

How much is the Cardiff Visitor Levy, and who pays it?

Guests pay the levy; accommodation providers collect it. The rates are set in legislation:

• £1.30 per person, per night for most accommodation — hotels, guesthouses, serviced apartments and short-term lets

• 75p per person, per night for campsites and shared accommodation such as hostel dormitories

• VAT applies where applicable

Some visitors are exempt, including children under 18 staying in campsites or shared rooms, anyone staying more than 31 nights in a single booking, and people in emergency or temporary accommodation arranged by the council.

When does the Cardiff Visitor Levy start? Key dates

• Autumn 2026: the Wales Visitor Accommodation Registration scheme opens — every visitor accommodation property in Wales will need to register

• 28 September 2026: bookings taken from this date for stays on or after 1 April 2027 must account for the levy

• 1 April 2027: the levy goes live on qualifying overnight stays in Cardiff

Anyone providing visitor accommodation in Cardiff can sign up to the Welsh Revenue Authority's mailing list for guidance as it is published. The Welsh Government's Visitor Levy page is the authoritative reference, including which other councils are charging or consulting.

Where does the money go?

The levy is expected to raise around £3.5 million a year. It is collected by the Welsh Revenue Authority and passed back to Cardiff Council, with a new Visitor Levy Partnership Forum — drawing on local tourism organisations — advising on how funds are spent.

Consultation respondents were clear on one condition: the income should be ring-fenced and visibly reinvested in Cardiff as a destination — promotion, visitor infrastructure, and supporting the major events the city is known for. It is a condition we would echo.

What the levy means for guests staying in Cardiff

In practice, very little changes. £1.30 per person, per night is modest by the standards of comparable European cities. For a couple on a two-night city break, it adds £5.20. The charge will be itemised transparently at booking, and the intention is that it funds a better visitor experience — the events, infrastructure and welcome that make Cardiff worth the trip.

What the levy means for Cardiff property owners

If you let a property in Cardiff — on Airbnb, Booking.com, direct, or through agents — the levy applies to you. The practical obligations are registration, charging the correct amount per guest per night, handling exemptions correctly, and reporting and paying what you collect to the Welsh Revenue Authority.

For every Cardiff property under Guesture management, we handle this as part of the service: levy registration, pricing setup across every platform, and reporting — all in place ahead of the September 2026 booking deadline, alongside the Wales-wide accommodation registration scheme. If you manage your own property, the dates above are worth diarising now.

Will other parts of Wales follow?

The legislation is national, so any Welsh council can introduce a levy from April 2027 after consulting locally. Cardiff is first; others are watching closely. For now, stays in Newport and the rest of South Wales are unaffected — we will keep this page updated as other councils decide.

Cardiff Visitor Levy — frequently asked questions

How much is the Cardiff tourist tax?

£1.30 per person, per night for most accommodation, and 75p per person, per night for campsites and shared rooms such as hostels. VAT applies where applicable.

When does the Cardiff Visitor Levy start?

The levy applies to stays from 1 April 2027. Bookings taken from 28 September 2026 for stays on or after that date must account for it.

Does the levy apply to Airbnb and short-term lets?

Yes. The levy covers paid overnight stays of up to 31 nights in hotels, guesthouses, hostels, short-term lets such as Airbnbs, campsites and temporary event accommodation.

Who is exempt from the Cardiff Visitor Levy?

Children under 18 staying in campsites or shared rooms, people staying more than 31 nights in a single booking, and those in emergency or temporary accommodation arranged by the council.

Who collects the levy?

Accommodation providers collect the levy from guests and pay it to the Welsh Revenue Authority, which passes it back to Cardiff Council.

Does the levy apply in Newport or elsewhere in South Wales?

Not at present. Cardiff is the first Welsh council to introduce a levy. Other councils may follow after their own local consultations.

Questions about how the levy affects your Cardiff property? Get in touch — this is exactly the sort of detail we handle every day.

Pedro Reis — Founder, Guesture

Pedro Reis is the founder of Guesture — The Hosting Experts, a property management company providing guest management, property maintenance, listing optimisation and compliance for short-term rentals across Cardiff, Newport and South Wales.