The short version: if you take bookings of 31 nights or less for anywhere in Wales, you must register it with the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA) by 31 March 2027. It’s free, it’s online, and it applies whether or not Gwynedd ever introduces the visitor levy. Penalties start from 1 April 2027.
Who has to register
The person or business responsible for the accommodation (usually the owner, or a tenant who lets it out) must register if they take bookings for overnight stays of 31 nights or less. That covers:
- self-catering cottages, flats and lodges
- static caravans and glamping
- tent and campervan pitches
- hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses
- hostels and bunkhouses
- your own home or spare rooms, if you let them
You don’t need to register if you don’t take bookings (friends or family staying free, for example) or you’ve stopped letting. A letting agent or management company can register for you, but the legal responsibility stays with you.
This isn’t the visitor levy
Registration and the levy are separate. Cyngor Gwynedd consulted on a levy in 2026 and postponed its decision in September, after more than 6,800 responses. If it ever does adopt one, it must give 12 months’ notice, so October 2027 is the earliest it could start here. Registration is needed either way.
What to have ready
- your contact details: name, address, phone, email and date of birth
- a company or charity number and trading name, if you have them
- the address and name of each property
- what type of accommodation it is
- when it’s usually open for bookings
- how many rooms or bookable units it has, and how many people can stay
- a GOV.UK One Login account (you can create one as you go)
If the same people are responsible for several properties, they all go in one registration.
How to register
- Go to the WRA’s register your visitor accommodation page and start the online service.
- Sign in with GOV.UK One Login.
- Enter your details and each property’s details.
- You’ll get a unique registration number. Keep it: it shows you’re registered and you’ll quote it to the WRA.
What becomes public
Some details go on a public register: your business or trading name, business address, the type of provider, property names and addresses, accommodation type, maximum occupancy, number of bookable units and availability. If you’re an individual, your name is only published with your consent or if it’s part of your business name, and your home address isn’t published unless it’s also the property address or you agree.
After you’ve registered
Tell the WRA within 30 days if anything changes: you sell the property, stop taking bookings, or your contact or property details change. (The WRA says updating online opens early in 2027; until then, changes need making by 31 March 2027.)
What happens if you don’t
From 1 April 2027, not registering can mean a penalty of £100 per property, then £10 a day for up to 30 days, then £1,000: up to £1,400 per property in all. Similar penalties apply for not reporting changes.
Where QR Welcome fits in
QR Welcome is a guest welcome page first: WiFi, check-in, house notes and a live local guide for your guests, plus a 0% commission book-direct button. The free plan includes a registration checklist and deadline reminders, and paid properties show a “WRA Registered” badge on the Stay map once you add your number. It also tracks nights let for the 182-night business rates test.
Sources: Welsh Government guidance on registering visitor accommodation and the technical guidance; Cyngor Gwynedd. Checked 23 October 2026. This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice.