Wales Visitor Accommodation Registration 2026: Complete Guide for Property Owners | Guesture
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Important Update: New Registration Requirement for Your Welsh Visitor AccommodatioN

Dear Property Owners,

We hope this message finds you well! We're writing to share some important information about a new legal requirement that will affect your visitor accommodation in Wales.


What's Changing?

The Welsh Government has introduced the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025, which means that from autumn 2026 (registration opens October 1st), anyone taking bookings for overnight stays in Wales must register their property with the Welsh Revenue Authority.


This applies to all types of visitor accommodation – whether you're hosting for one night a year or operating year-round, including:

  • Self-catering properties (houses, apartments, cottages, lodges)

  • Spare rooms in your main home

  • Hotels, B&Bs, and guesthouses

  • Glamping sites (shepherd's huts, yurts, pods)

  • Static caravans or mobile homes

  • Camping pitches and touring sites

  • Hostels and bunkhouses


If any of your bookings are for 31 nights or less, you'll need to register.


Who Needs to Register?

Here's an important clarification we received directly from the Welsh Revenue Authority:


Property owners are responsible for registering themselves – not property managers like Guesture. While we'll continue to manage and market your properties as always, the legal responsibility to register sits with you as the property owner.


The good news? The WRA has designed the process to be quick and straightforward – most people will complete registration in under 15 minutes. And best of all, registration is completely free.


What Information Will You Need?

To make registration as smooth as possible, start gathering this information now:


Your Contact Details

  • Full name

  • Address

  • Phone number

  • Date of birth

  • Company number (if applicable)

  • Trading name (if applicable)


Your Property Details

  • Accommodation address

  • Type(s) of accommodation you offer

  • Maximum guest capacity (how many people can stay)

  • When your accommodation is typically open for bookings

Having this information ready means you'll breeze through the registration process when it opens.


How to Get Ready


1. Sign Up for Updates

The Welsh Revenue Authority will send reminders and notifications when registration opens. Sign up at:gov.wales/registeryourplace


2. Attend a Webinar (Optional)

The WRA is running webinars in March 2026 where you can:

  • See the registration service in action

  • Ask questions directly

  • Learn more about the requirements


3. Gather Your Information

Use the checklist above to collect all the details you'll need.


Why Is This Being Introduced?

The register will:

  • Provide a clearer picture of the tourism sector across Wales

  • Help support tourism development and planning

  • Assist with potential Visitor Levy collection (if your local council chooses to introduce one from April 2027 onwards)

  • Help visitors find registered accommodation


What Happens If You Don't Register?

Registration is a legal requirement, and failure to register may result in penalties. We want to make sure all our property owners stay compliant and avoid any issues!


How Guesture Can Support You

While the registration responsibility sits with you, we're here to help in every way we can:

✅ We'll keep you informed with updates as registration approaches

✅ We're happy to answer questions about the process

✅ We'll continue managing your properties as we always have – this doesn't change our day-to-day operations

✅ We'll share any feedback with the WRA to help make the process as smooth as possible for all property owners


Next Steps

  1. Sign up for updates at gov.wales/registeryourplace

  2. Gather your information using the checklist above

  3. Mark your calendar – registration opens autumn 2026

  4. Reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns


Questions?

If you'd like to discuss this further or have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at Guesture. You can also contact the Welsh Revenue Authority directly:


We know that regulatory changes can feel overwhelming, but this one is genuinely straightforward, and we're confident you'll find the process quick and painless once registration opens. We're here to support you every step of the way!


Thank you for being part of the Guesture family. As always, we're committed to making your hosting experience as smooth and successful as possible.


Warm regards,

Pedro Reis

Founder | GuestureThe Hosting Experts


P.S. – Don't forget to sign up for those WRA updates! It's the easiest way to stay in the loop and receive reminders when registration opens.

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