The Coronavirus Act 2020 effectively shut down all short-stay rental accommodation with immediate effect. Many landlords I know (myself included!) were keen to support our amazing frontline key workers during this pandemic by offering our now-vacant properties to those in need of clean, safe accommodation, whether to isolate and remove risk from their families, or to relocate closer to work.

But Swansea Council took the coronavirus lockdown a step further and made it mandatory for landlords to obtain a license for each short stay they wanted to accept!

Move over Rent Smart Wales – the short letting market just got side-swiped into a licensing scheme overnight without any consultation and no effective communication!

Swansea Council’s licensing scheme is likely to last until the market is back open again (in England, they are looking a re-open date of the 4th July).

So, if you are still looking to help key workers in Swansea by offering your property on a short let basis, I’ve created a quick list for you of the information Swansea Council will require before they will grant a licence to you.

It’s worth noting the fines from the Council for accepting a short let without a licence are UNLIMITED, so you really need to exercise caution here.

8 Questions You Need to Ask if You’re Letting to Key Workers:

1. Name, phone number, and email address for your guest?

2. Why is your guest coming to/moving within Swansea?

3. Where will they be working?

4. Who is their employer? (including phone number and email address)

5. How long do they intend to stay?

6. What is the address of your property?

7. Who owns the property? (including phone number and email address)

8. Can you provide a description of the property including whether it is catered or self-catered (and if the former, what arrangements are in place to observe Government advice on coronavirus)?

Who to Contact for a Licence

The email address to send the information to is [email protected]

Licences can take a few days to be approved too, so make sure you get all the information to the council as quickly as possible.

If you’re a landlord or property investor interested to learn more about short-stay rental accommodation in Swansea, we’d love to hear from you. 

Sources: Welsh Government / Swansea Council