Holiday lets require licences as part of new plans

Local TV

Holiday let owners will soon be made to have licences to prove safety in the property if plans go ahead through the Senedd. It would require gas and electricity safety tests as well as compliance with insurance and other regulations.

Transcript

00:00New plans could soon change the way holiday accommodation is run in Wales, with every

00:06provider needing a licence to operate.

00:08The Welsh Government has introduced new legislation that would require owners of self-catering

00:13holiday cottages, flats and similar properties to meet a set of safety and quality standards

00:18before being granted a licence.

00:19It would apply to any property on holiday letting sites like Airbnb or Booking.com.

00:24To qualify, providers would need to show that they have valid gas and electrical safety

00:28certificates, insurance and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, forming what's

00:33being called the Fitness for Visitor Accommodation Standard.

00:36The move comes after research found that nearly two thirds of people planning UK holidays didn't

00:41realise that holiday-led owners currently don't need a licence, and more than 80% of those surveyed

00:46said they'd be more likely to book a property if such a licensing scheme existed.

00:50Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language Mark Drakeford said the new system is designed

00:55to reassure visitors that accommodation in Wales meets basic safety standards, and to support

01:00responsible businesses that already comply.

01:03He said by requiring all businesses to show they meet the same standards, we're creating

01:07fair competition that protects both visitors and responsible businesses.

01:11Welsh Conservatives have cautiously welcomed the plans but warned that too much regulation

01:15could backfire.

01:17Their economy spokesperson Sam Kurtz said the government must learn from other countries' licensing

01:21models to avoid damaging local tourism or driving smaller operators out of business.

01:27Ride Cymru's Sian Gwentlian said the bill would make sure that visitors are kept safe, and

01:31that checks, like electrical and gas inspections, are carried out regularly.

01:35If the plans are approved, the licensing system is expected to be in place by 2028 or 2029.

01:40James P. Watkins reporting for Local TV.

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