Welsh Government unveils draft ‘Airbnb law’

Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter

Holiday let operators in Wales would be forced to get a license and meet strict safety rules under a draft ‘Airbnb law’ unveiled by the Welsh Government.

Finance secretary Mark Drakeford has announced a draft tourism regulation bill which would introduce a mandatory licensing scheme for certain types of visitor accommodation.

The draft bill would make it an offence to provide or offer self-catering, self-contained properties without a license, with ministers able to add other types of accommodation later.

Fees and fines

Providers would face fines for non-compliance and be required to pay a fee for their license. A public register of all licensed properties would also be established.

All adverts for visitor accommodation, including on online platforms, would need to clearly display the property’s official registration number or face a fine.

The draft bill published today (October 6) would set legal standards for fire, electrical and gas safety, with rules on carbon monoxide alarms and public liability insurance.

‘Contractual right’

Such mandatory standards would become an implied term in the contract between the provider and the visitor, giving guests a direct contractual right to a safe property.

Under the shake-up, Welsh ministers would be given powers of enforcement, including to enter and inspect properties as well as issue penalty notices for offences.

The rise of short-term letting platforms, such as Airbnb, has prompted governments around the world to introduce similar registration and licensing schemes.

Beyond regulation, the draft bill would also give ministers a formal duty to balance the promotion of tourism with the social and environmental impacts.

In a statement, Prof Drakeford explained the draft bill was published to give people a glimpse of the proposed scope and direction before formal introduction in the autumn.

Stressing the draft bill is not a final version, he wrote: “Work continues on the preparation of the bill and there are likely to be changes before it is introduced to the Senedd.”

The draft bill is available to read here.