New rules begin on second homes and holiday lets

Some people in north Wales will need to get planning permission to turn a house into a holiday let or a second home from 1 September.

Cyngor Gwynedd has changed the rules to tackle what it calls a "huge housing crisis".

It said people buying houses to use as holiday lets and second homes has pushed prices up higher than locals can afford, and reduced the number of properties available.

But opponents of the change have said it would devalue every home in the area, and make houses harder to sell.

Gwynedd is the first area in Wales to bring in the Article 4 direction.

The national park authority in Eryri is also looking to do the same from June 2025 in the areas of Gwynedd and Conwy counties, where it is in charge of planning.

Abersoch on the Llŷn peninsula is one of the areas in Wales with the biggest number of second homes and holiday lets.

Megan Holyoak has lived in Abersoch all her life.

She said: "There's frustration and anger among many people in the community at this.

"All it's doing is devaluing houses in the area which are owned by local people.

"It's putting a cap on who we can sell our homes to - how is that right in any way?"

A campaign group, People of Gwynedd Against Article 4, has raised money to fund a legal challenge.

But many people in Gwynedd support the change in the rules, including Mared Llywelyn. She lives in Nefyn and is chair of the town council.

She said: "House prices are so high, they're out of reach for young people, but also older professionals and middle-aged people.

"There are so many people who can't afford to live in their community and are being pushed out.

"We have to use whatever powers we can to protect our language and our communities, and I'm glad Cyngor Gywnedd has made this change."

The new rules in Gwynedd have been made possible because the Welsh government changed planning regulations to create three new classes of use: main home, second home or short-term holiday accommodation.

If planning authorities put an Article 4 direction in place, they can insist that people get permission to change a home from one type to another.

Second home owners in Gwynedd already pay a 250% council tax rate.

Dyfrig Siencyn, leader of Cyngor Gwynedd said: "This has been an emotive subject, and we have been listening to people's concerns.

"We don't want to see a collapse in the housing market.

"At this moment in time, there is no evidence that it will have a substantial effect on the market, but we will be keeping a close eye on the impact."

He added that research showed a significant proportion of people in Gwynedd were priced out of the housing market and by introducing an Article 4 direction, the council had a new tool to try to control the impact of second homes and holiday accommodation.

To try to manage the impact of second homes and holiday lets on communities, planning changes have been introduced in Wales.

This means planning authorities like councils and national parks can introduce what is known as an Article 4 direction to manage housing.

In Gwynedd, if means a homeowner will need planning permission to use a main home as a second home or short-term holiday let; to use a second home as a holiday let; or to use a holiday let as a second home.

This will not affect anyone who has a property already used as a second home or holiday let. Nobody will have to put in a retrospective planning application if the property's use is already established.

At present, it would be possible to use a home for part of the year as a holiday let without getting planning permission.

Eryri National Park Authority - the planning authority for the area also known as Snowdonia - is also considering bringing in Article 4.