Wales plans to introduce a statutory registration scheme

The deputy minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dawn Bowden has announced a plan to introduce a statutory registration scheme for visitor accommodation in Wales.

The scheme will help the government understand the industry better and allow them to make more informed decisions and ensure anyone offering visitor accommodation in Wales meets a relevant set of standards with a focus on visitor safety and compliance. 

A similar scheme has been in place for some time in Northern Ireland, and a short term let scheme was implemented in Scotland in 2023. The UK government is also looking at ways to introduce a scheme. 

The Welsh Government hope to have the first phase in place by the end of 2024, when a registration scheme will be established. Following this, the second phase will introduce a licence scheme, and this will apply to all accommodation providers in Wales. 

Classic Cottages Commercial Director, Dan Harrison comments: 'We as an agency, and our property owners invest time and resources to ensure our properties are legally compliant and safe for guests to stay, and it is important that this is also addressed throughout the industry. Classic Cottages support the need for a registration scheme if it means all accommodation will meet safety regulations for guests.’

Further details from the Welsh Government can be found here. 

Our Owner Support team are always on hand to help on owner.support@classic.co.uk, so please don't hesitate to send any questions our way.