Registering Your Holiday Let in Wales: A Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

May 1

4 min read

Updated 10 October 2026. The register is now open, so we have rewritten this guide. An earlier version said unregistered properties could not take bookings and that registration involved a compliance check. Neither is the case: the register is a free online record, and the sanction for not registering is a financial penalty.

The Wales visitor accommodation register opened on 1 October 2026. If you let a property in Wales for stays of 31 nights or less, it needs to be on the register by 31 March 2027. Registration is free, it is done online, and it applies whether or not your council charges a visitor levy.

This guide covers who needs to register, what you will need, how the service works step by step, and what happens afterwards. It reflects the Welsh Government's guidance as of October 2026.

What the register is, and what it isn't

The register is a record, kept by the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA), of who provides visitor accommodation in Wales and where. It is set up under the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025.

It is not a licence. There is no inspection and no approval to wait for: you give your details and receive a registration number. Safety certificates, insurance and planning still matter, but they sit outside the register.

Who needs to register

You need to register if all three of these apply:

you take bookings for overnight stays in Wales
you are responsible for the accommodation, for example you own it or rent it
any of those bookings are for 31 nights or less

That covers holiday lets, serviced apartments, a spare room let now and then, and everything in between. Each premises is listed, so an owner with several flats or homes includes them all.

Key dates

1 October 2026: the register opened.
31 March 2027: the deadline for existing providers, including anyone who starts letting before then.
From 1 April 2027: new providers register when they start offering accommodation, up to 30 days beforehand. Penalties apply from this date.

What you will need

About you, the provider:

your name, email address, phone number, date of birth and contact address, or your company number if the property is owned through a company
any trading names you advertise under
whether you would like the WRA to contact you by email or post

About each property:

the address, and the property's name if it has one
the type of accommodation, for example a self-catering let
when in the year it is open
the number of units and the maximum number of guests

How to register, step by step

Sign in. The service uses GOV.UK One Login. If you do not have an account, you create one at the start.
Choose your provider type. Individual, company or limited liability partnership, partnership, charity, club or group, or other.
Add your provider details. Individuals enter their personal details. Companies enter the company number and the rest is filled in. Add any trading names and how you would like to be contacted.
Add your accommodation. Enter the address, the type of accommodation, when it is open, the number of units and the maximum number of guests. You can add further properties.
Check, save and finish. You receive a confirmation by email or letter with your registration number.

For most people with one or two properties it takes around 15 minutes. The service is an early version: the WRA is still adding the options to update your details, add other users and deregister online.

After you register

Keep your number to hand. Booking platforms are starting to ask for it. Expedia, for example, has told hosts it will ask them to add it to their listings.
Keep your details up to date. If anything changes, tell the WRA within 30 days.
Deregister when you stop. If you stop offering the property, apply to be removed before 31 days have passed.

Penalties from 1 April 2027

For each property that should be registered but is not, the penalty is £100, then £10 a day for up to 30 days, then £1,000: up to £1,400 per property. The same scale applies to changes that are not reported. A reasonable excuse can cancel or reduce a penalty.

If your property is in Cardiff

Cardiff Council has introduced the Visitor Levy: £1.30 per person per night on stays from 1 April 2027, or 75p for shared hostel rooms and tent pitches. Bookings made since 28 September 2026 for those stays already need to account for it. Our Cardiff Visitor Levy guide covers the rates, exemptions and returns.

Does your letting agent register for you?

The law places the duty on the provider, which is usually the owner, and the guidance is clear that agents and management companies are not responsible for registering. It is equally clear that they can register on your behalf.

Many agencies are still telling owners that registration is their job, or are reviewing whether they can help. We have decided. The legal responsibility stays with you; the work does not have to.

How Guesture can help

If we manage your home in Cardiff, Newport or elsewhere in South Wales, we register it for you at no cost, keep a record of the number, add it to your listings and keep your details up to date. In Cardiff, we charge the levy to guests as a separate fee and file the returns as your agent, so it does not come out of your income.

If we do not manage your home, we can still register it for you, for £49 per property. For Cardiff hosts, we can keep your levy records and file your returns for £150 a year per property.

Either way, we need your written OK and your details, and the WRA sends your registration number to you directly. If you would like to talk it through, speak with our team.