Short-term let rules in Bridgend (updated 29 Oct 2026)
Last checked: 9 official source pages for this council scanned automatically for changes on 2 Nov 2026What changed
Get an email when the rules here change
Licensing, planning, visitor levy and fees in Bridgend, checked against official sources. Free, unsubscribe any time.
Dates we're watching for Bridgend (1)
- 31 Mar 2027: WRA registration deadline
Plus one short weekly UK "what changed" email.
Last checked 29 Oct 2026: no change logged for this council in our changes log. Get free alerts when it changes.
200% council tax premium on second homes (300% bill) from 1 Apr 2026, up from 100% since Apr 2024. Holiday lets need free WRA registration by 31 Mar 2027. No visitor levy.
Licensing or registration
Registration requiredNo council licence yet. Wales-wide: if you take bookings of 31 nights or fewer you must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority by 31 Mar 2027 (free, applies even with no council levy).
A national licensing scheme is legislated but not in force (default commencement March 2030). Check if you must register 路 What the licensing Act will require.
Control area / planning
None foundNo Article 4 direction or local short-let planning control found (checked 25 Oct 2026). Wales-wide, use classes C3 (main home), C5 (second home) and C6 (short-term let) exist since Oct 2022, and moving between them is permitted development unless an Article 4 direction applies.
Visitor levy
None foundNo levy. GOV.WALES lists Cardiff as the only council that will charge the Visitor Levy and lists no councils consulting on it (checked 23 Oct 2026). Any Welsh levy needs a consultation, a full Council decision and 12 months' notice.
Fees
WRA registration is free. Council tax second-home premium: 200% on top of the standard charge (so a bill of 300%, triple the normal amount) from 1 Apr 2026.
Council decided on 20 Sep 2023 to start a 100% premium on second homes from 1 Apr 2024 and raise it to 200% after two years, which makes Bridgend one of the highest-charging councils in Wales. It applies to substantially furnished homes that are not anyone's sole or main home.
Long-term empty homes (empty and unfurnished for a year) have paid a premium since 1 Apr 2023, also rising after two years. Exceptions: Class 1 and 2 (marketed for sale or let, one year only), Class 3 (annexes), Class 4 (armed forces), Class 5 (occupied caravan pitches and boat moorings), Class 6 (a planning condition prevents year-round or main-residence use, or limits the home to holiday letting) and Class 7 (job-related homes).
Claim an exception by emailing premiums@bridgend.gov.uk. The council collected about 拢161,000 from the second-home premium in 2025/26.
A 2022 planning report found no obvious local concentration of second homes or short-term lets, but noted the Porthcawl Waterfront redevelopment could justify limits later.
What changed in Bridgend
- Rules on this page last checked in full against the official sources listed above.
- Added council pages for Bridgend (second-home council tax premium rose to 200%, a triple bill, from April 2026, among the highest in Wales) and Newport (100% second-home premium since April 2025, which the council says can include holiday lets on council tax). Neither has a visitor levy or an Article 4 direction; WRA registration still applies by 31 Mar 2027. Official source
Newest first. Every UK change is in the changes log. Nothing here is legal advice: check the official source before acting.
Wales guides and tools
- Do I need to register with the WRA? 4-question checker
- Second homes council tax premium in Wales: rates, the 182-night test and exceptions
- Business rates or council tax? Occupancy threshold tracker
- Holiday let fire safety in Wales: what you need and a checklist
- Wales licensing scheme (2026 Act, legal default March 2030): who needs a licence
- How holiday lets are taxed since the FHL regime ended
Not sure what applies to your let? Use the free licence checker: pick your nation, council and type of let for a plain-English answer with the official source.
Buying here? See the buyer checks for Bridgend: licence or registration, planning, visitor levy, business rates or council tax, plus the lender, insurance and title checks to make before you buy.
Key dates
- 1 Apr 2024: 100% second-home premium started
- 1 Apr 2026: second-home premium rises to 200% (300% bill)
- 31 Mar 2027: WRA registration deadline
Bridgend short-let rules: quick answers
Do I need a licence or registration for a short-term let in Bridgend?
No council licence yet. Wales-wide: if you take bookings of 31 nights or fewer you must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority by 31 Mar 2027 (free, applies even with no council levy). A national licensing scheme is legislated but not in force (default commencement March 2030). Check if you must register 路 What the licensing Act will require.
Do I need planning permission for a short-term let in Bridgend?
No Article 4 direction or local short-let planning control found (checked 25 Oct 2026). Wales-wide, use classes C3 (main home), C5 (second home) and C6 (short-term let) exist since Oct 2022, and moving between them is permitted development unless an Article 4 direction applies.
Is there a visitor levy (tourist tax) in Bridgend?
No levy. GOV.WALES lists Cardiff as the only council that will charge the Visitor Levy and lists no councils consulting on it (checked 23 Oct 2026). Any Welsh levy needs a consultation, a full Council decision and 12 months' notice.
What fees apply to short-term lets in Bridgend?
WRA registration is free. Council tax second-home premium: 200% on top of the standard charge (so a bill of 300%, triple the normal amount) from 1 Apr 2026. Council decided on 20 Sep 2023 to start a 100% premium on second homes from 1 Apr 2024 and raise it to 200% after two years, which makes Bridgend one of the highest-charging councils in Wales. It applies to substantially furnished homes that are not anyone's sole or main home. Long-term empty homes (empty and unfurnished for a year) have paid a premium since 1 Apr 2023, also rising after two years. Exceptions: Class 1 and 2 (marketed for sale or let, one year only), Class 3 (annexes), Class 4 (armed forces), Class 5 (occupied caravan pitches and boat moorings), Class 6 (a planning condition prevents year-round or main-residence use, or limits the home to holiday letting) and Class 7 (job-related homes). Claim an exception by emailing premiums@bridgend.gov.uk. The council collected about 拢161,000 from the second-home premium in 2025/26. A 2022 planning report found no obvious local concentration of second homes or short-term lets, but noted the Porthcawl Waterfront redevelopment could justify limits later.
Answers summarise the sections above. Follow each section's official source before acting.
More council pages in Wales
Get free rule-change alerts for Bridgend
One email when Bridgend short-let rules change, plus the weekly UK "what changed" email. Free. Unsubscribe any time. Prefer every Wales change? Get Wales alerts.