Proposals for new statutory licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation providers in Wales

A statutory licensing scheme could:

• Provide the mechanism to address concerns on compliance
• Provide a comprehensive database of exactly who is operating in the industry as it is currently not possible to determine how many visitor accommodation businesses there are in Wales, or in any given community;
• Be a valuable tool in understanding the scale and nature of the sector.

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething said: “The visitor economy is changing rapidly, and the role of visitor accommodation presents major challenges for communities across the world.

“For example, the growth of online booking platforms has brought many benefits, such as new routes to market and increased consumer choice.

“However, we are aware of the concerns around compliance with existing requirements and the impact of short-term lets on housing stock and our communities.

“Our plans to develop statutory licensing scheme will be focused on levelling the playing field as part of a long-term response to the major challenges we face.

“Over the course of the past year, we have been exploring and engaging with stakeholders on how such a scheme could work in Wales. As the consultation now opens, we would like to hear further views and would encourage the sector to respond to the consultation.”