182-day consultation: have you responded yet?

The Welsh Government consultation on the future of the 182-day rule is now underway, providing an important opportunity for tourism businesses across Wales to make the case for meaningful change.

The consultation runs until 23 October 2026 and asks for views on whether the 182-day letting threshold should be reduced, alongside proposals for new exemptions for some self-catering properties.

Many businesses have already submitted their responses. If you haven’t responded yet, but are planning to do so, we’ve put together some thoughts on the questions being asked and the issues we believe are particularly important to consider. 

Why? Because the way some of the consultation questions are phrased matters.

The Welsh Government repeatedly asks about a “modest reduction” to the current threshold. Simply agreeing that the threshold should come down could therefore risk being interpreted as support for a relatively small reduction – rather than the meaningful change many businesses desperately need.

Issues to consider in your consultation responses:

Be clear about the threshold you believe is realistic.

The Let’s Review 182 campaign continues to call for the threshold to be reduced to 105 days. Don’t simply say that 182 should be reduced – explain what you believe a workable threshold should be and why.

Tell your own story.

If 182 has affected your business, explain how. Has it forced you to discount heavily? Affected investment or employment? Created financial pressure? Have illness, repairs, poor weather or other circumstances outside your control affected your ability to meet the threshold? Real experiences and evidence matter.

Don’t miss the opportunity to argue for a grace period.

We believe genuine businesses should not be punished for one difficult year, particularly when circumstances are beyond their control. The consultation doesn’t ask this question directly, so if you would like the Welsh Government to consider a grace period, it is important to raise it in the sections where you can provide additional comments.

Highlight the wider community impact.

Self-catering businesses don’t operate in isolation. Visitors spend money in pubs, restaurants, shops and attractions and support cleaners, tradespeople, food producers and other local businesses. If you can, give examples of how your business supports other businesses and jobs locally, and what could be lost if viable visitor accommodation disappears.

There are also questions about the Welsh language. These provide an opportunity to explain how viable tourism businesses can support local employment, help sustain Welsh-speaking communities and introduce visitors to Welsh language and culture.

This consultation is too important to miss

The Welsh Government itself has acknowledged that some businesses making meaningful contributions to their local economies are unable to meet the current threshold. It is now considering whether the threshold is set at the right level and what effect a reduction could have.

That makes this a genuine opportunity for change.

We need as many people as possible to make their voices heard – and to make clear what meaningful change actually looks like.

Our campaign continues to call for:

✔️ A reduction to 105 days

✔️ A grace period, so genuine businesses aren’t punished for one bad year

Please share this with others. You don’t need to own a holiday cottage to have an interest in the outcome. If you work in Welsh tourism or your livelihood depends on a thriving visitor economy, this consultation matters to you too.

The consultation closes on 23 October 2026.