Welsh councils will be able to limit the number of second homes in their towns and villages, the Labor government has announced.
Under the new plan, landlords who want to offer short-term vacation rentals, such as through Airbnb, will also need a license.
Announcing the measures at a joint news conference with Plaid Cymru, Welsh Labor Prime Minister Mark Drakeford said having “too many holiday properties and second homes” did not create “healthy local communities”.
It is the latest measure against second home owners across the UK after English local authorities were given the power to double municipal tax bills on second homes that are not used or rented for at least 70 days a year.
Punctual checks have also been announced on holiday homes in England to ensure compliance with health and safety standards and deter antisocial behavior from visitors.
Local authorities in Wales already have the power to increase the municipal tax on second homes by 300% from next year.
One of the new ways in which the country’s councils will limit second homes is through changes in urban planning regulations, which will create three classes of property: main housing; second home; and short-term holiday accommodation.
The Welsh local authorities will then be able to make amendments to the planning system to require a planning permit for a change of use from one class to another.
Drakeford said he was introducing measures to ensure the local population could afford to live in their own communities.
“There is no single, simple solution”
He added: “We have a shared ambition for Wales to be a nation of thriving communities: a country where people don’t have to leave to find good and rewarding work and a country where people want to come and visit and live.
“Tourism is vital to our economy, but having too many holiday properties and second homes, which are empty for much of the year, does not make local communities healthy and does not put a price on local market people of housing.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution to these problems. Any action we take must be fair. We do not want to create unintended consequences that could destabilize the housing market in general or make it difficult to rent or buy. people “.