Safety Certificates for Holiday Lets in Wales: The 2026 Compliance Checklist
- Pedro Reis
- Mar 29
- 7 min read
By Pedro Reis · Founder & Managing Director, Guesture
If you let a property in Wales — whether through Airbnb, Booking.com, or your own direct bookings — you are legally responsible for a set of safety certificates that most owners either do not know about or have not kept up to date.
This is not a grey area. These are legal requirements. And in 2026, with Wales's licensing regime for holiday lets becoming more robust, falling behind on compliance is a risk you cannot afford.
This post covers every safety certificate you need, what it involves, how often you need it, and what happens if you do not have it. Think of it as your compliance checklist — bookmark it, work through it, and update it every year.
Why Safety Compliance Matters More Than Ever in Wales
Wales has been building a more structured regulatory environment for short-term and holiday lets over the past few years. The Tourism (Wales) Act 2023 introduced a visitor levy framework. The Welsh Government has consulted on registration and licensing for holiday lets. Local authorities are paying closer attention.
In this environment, a missing gas safety certificate or an out-of-date electrical inspection is not just a fire risk — it is potential grounds for a licence refusal, an insurance claim being rejected, or personal liability if something goes wrong.
The good news is that compliance is straightforward when you know what to do. The bad news is that most self-managing landlords are not fully up to date.
A missing safety certificate is not an administrative oversight. It is a legal liability and, in some cases, a criminal offence.
Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)
If your property has any gas appliances — a boiler, hob, oven, gas fire, or even a gas pipe that is capped — you need an annual Gas Safety Certificate, also known as a CP12.
What is required:
Annual inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer
All gas appliances, pipework, and flues checked
A written record (the CP12 certificate) issued after each inspection
Guests must be able to access a copy — in practice, this means leaving it in the property or providing it digitally
Cost: typically £60–£120 per visit, depending on the number of appliances and your location in Wales.
What happens without it: letting a property with gas without a valid CP12 is a criminal offence under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Your insurance will not cover a gas-related incident if you cannot produce a current certificate. Airbnb and other platforms are increasingly requiring proof of compliance.
Guesture tip: we can schedule CP12 renewals as a standard part of our property management service, so our clients never miss the renewal date.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) assesses the safety of all fixed electrical wiring in your property — the consumer unit, sockets, light fittings, and all wiring behind the walls.
What is required:
Inspection by a qualified electrician (typically Part P certified or a member of NICEIC, NAPIT, or similar)
Holiday lets in Wales: EICR required every five years
Any C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) observations must be remedied before re-letting
A copy of the current EICR should be kept at the property
Cost: typically £150–£300 for a standard two-bedroom property, more for larger or older properties with complex wiring.
What happens without it: an EICR is a legal requirement for holiday lets in Wales under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (Wales) Regulations (which came into force for new tenancies and have since been extended). Letting without one puts you in breach of those regulations and voids relevant insurance.
Note: this is separate from a Portable Appliance Test (PAT). The EICR covers fixed wiring; PAT covers moveable appliances. You may need both — see below.
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
PAT testing covers every electrical appliance in your holiday let that is not fixed — kettles, toasters, televisions, lamps, hairdryers, phone chargers, and anything else that plugs in.
What is required:
Visual inspection and electrical testing of all portable appliances
Frequency: at least annually for holiday lets, given high turnover of guests
Each tested item receives a PAT sticker showing the test date and next test date
A written record of all tested items should be kept
Cost: typically £1–£3 per item, or £50–£150 for a standard holiday let package covering all appliances.
What happens without it: PAT testing is not technically required by statute in the same way as a CP12 or EICR. However, your insurance policy almost certainly requires evidence of appliance safety in the event of an electrical fire or injury claim. Without PAT records, a claim can be rejected. More practically, a faulty appliance that injures a guest creates significant personal liability.
Fire Risk Assessment
Every holiday let requires a fire risk assessment. This is not optional — it is a legal requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which applies to all non-domestic premises, including holiday lets where members of the public are accommodated.
What is required:
A documented fire risk assessment identifying hazards and the measures in place to manage them
Working smoke alarms on every floor (interlinked is best practice)
A carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance (and strongly recommended wherever there is gas)
A fire blanket in or near the kitchen
A fire extinguisher (at minimum a CO2 or dry powder unit) in larger properties or those with multiple rooms
Clear fire escape routes — free of obstruction, unlockable from inside
A fire safety information card for guests
Cost: if you conduct the assessment yourself (which is permitted for simpler properties), there is no direct cost beyond the equipment. A professional fire risk assessment from a qualified assessor costs £100–£250.
What happens without it: local fire authorities can inspect holiday lets. Non-compliance with fire safety requirements can result in notices requiring immediate action, prohibition orders (which prevent use of the property), and, in serious cases, prosecution.
Smoke and CO alarms are not optional. They are a legal requirement — and a moral one. A £30 alarm could save a life.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
An Energy Performance Certificate rates the energy efficiency of your property from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). It is required before you market a property for let.
What is required:
A valid EPC from an accredited assessor
EPC is valid for ten years from the date of issue
Holiday lets that are not used as a main residence are generally required to have an EPC, though there is ongoing debate about the exemptions for short-term lets in Wales — the safest position is to have one
The EPC rating must be displayed in your listing on most major platforms
Cost: typically £60–£120 for a standard assessment.
What happens without it: marketing a property for let without a valid EPC can result in a fixed penalty notice. More practically, Airbnb now prompts hosts to confirm EPC compliance in some markets, and guests are increasingly aware of energy costs.
Looking ahead: the Welsh Government has signalled intentions around minimum EPC ratings for rented properties. An E rating is currently the minimum for most rented properties, but proposed changes would raise that floor to C. Knowing your current rating lets you plan any necessary improvements.
Legionella Risk Assessment
Legionella is a bacterium that can grow in water systems — particularly where water sits stagnant or at temperatures between 20°C and 45°C. Holiday lets with periods of vacancy are particularly susceptible.
What is required:
A documented Legionella risk assessment — this is a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
For most domestic holiday lets, this does not require a specialist; a self-assessment using HSE guidance is sufficient if you document it properly
Regular flushing of all taps and showers between guest stays, especially after periods of vacancy
Water tanks (if present) should be checked and descaled periodically
Cost: self-assessment is free. A professional Legionella risk assessment costs £100–£200.
What happens without it: failure to conduct a Legionella risk assessment is a breach of health and safety law. Insurance may not cover a Legionella-related claim without documented assessment.
Your 2026 Compliance Checklist
Work through this list for every property you manage in Wales:
Gas Safety Certificate (CP12): current and renewed annually? If gas is present.
EICR: current and within the last five years? Any C1/C2 observations remedied?
PAT Testing: all portable appliances tested within the last 12 months?
Fire Risk Assessment: documented? Equipment in place and in date? Guest information card present?
Smoke and CO alarms: tested? Working? Interlinked?
EPC: valid and within ten years? Rating recorded?
Legionella Risk Assessment: documented? Flushing protocol in place for vacant periods?
Insurance: does your policy cover short-term letting specifically? Check now, not after a claim.
Compliance is not a one-time exercise. It is a rolling calendar. Every certificate has an expiry date.
How Guesture Handles Compliance for Managed Properties
For every property we manage, Guesture can maintain a compliance calendar that tracks every certificate, inspection, and renewal date. This is an option that the owner can ask for. We can coordinate directly with your prefered Gas Safe engineers, qualified electricians, and assessors. We do not want to wait for owners to remember — we manage it proactively.
We also stay current with Welsh Government guidance as the holiday let regulatory framework evolves. When something changes — as it has repeatedly over the past three years — we update our processes and notify our clients.
If you are managing your own property and finding compliance administration time-consuming or confusing, that is one of the clearest signals that professional management might be worth considering.
You can also read our full guide to the Wales visitor accommodation registration system here: Wales Visitor Accommodation Registration 2026: Complete Guide for Property Owners — which covers the broader licensing picture alongside safety compliance.
If you'd like to talk through your compliance position for a property in Cardiff, Newport, or anywhere in South Wales, get in touch with the Guesture team.
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