Another new rule for Landlords in Wales

New rules coming into effect in Wales from the end of February will mean landlords will require planning permission to convert a house from use as a single household to a shared rental property of 3 to 6 unrelated people, commonly known as Homes for Multiple Occupancy (HMO)

Landlords will need to pay a fee of £380 upfront when they apply for the planning permission, this is similar to the way the scheme works in England, there will be no guarantee that permission will be granted however.

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) Vice Chairman for Wales, Douglas Haig reportedly said: “All the evidence shows that Wales needs more, not less rented housing. It beggars belief therefore that landlords are being clobbered once again, expected to pay up for planning permission to convert the use of properties.

“The reality is that landlords will have little option other than to raise rents or exit the market altogether faced with the growing costs of renting housing. Either way, it is tenants who will lose out.

“We call on the government to think again about these planning changes which will simply become a cash cow for local authorities.”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 18/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Labour’s flagship social housing provider Vistry flounders   For the past 18 months, Labour’s housing strategy has been built around one central promise: accelerate delivery, unlock planning, and hit ambitious housebuilding targets through large-scale partnerships between government, housing associations and major developers. But the…
Read More
Breaking News

UK’s most affordable locations for first-time buyers

New Lloyds research reveals the most affordable places in the UK for first time -buyers • East Ayrshire tops the list, with average first -time buyer prices below £150,000 • Blackpool, Merthyr Tydfil and Mid and East Antrim also rank among the most affordable • Average first -time buyer age is 32 – but falls…
Read More
Breaking News

House prices trending into negative territory for just second time in a decade

The latest research by Yopa has revealed that average monthly house price growth across Britain has slipped into negative territory in 2026, marking only the second time this has happened over the last decade. Yopa analysed the average monthly rate of house price growth across Britain, England, Wales and Scotland between 2016 and 2026 so…
Read More
Breaking News

Homesellers face months of delays

The latest market analysis from House Buyer Bureau has revealed that home sellers in some parts of the country are facing Local Authority search waiting times of more than 90 days, with growing legal bottlenecks increasingly putting transactions at risk before they reach the finish line.   House Buyer Bureau analysed the latest Local Authority…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 14/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The art of getting noticed as a recruiter in a world noisy with AI Why personal branding, humour and sharp messaging cuts through all – meet Daniel Fisher MREC Cert RP As a two times editor, journalist, author, analyst and consultant I get to…
Read More
can you drink tap water
Letting Agent Talk

What tenants really want from a HMO in 2026

By Allison Thompson, Chief Lettings Officer, Leaders part of LRG   Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), also referred to as multi-lets or room rentals, have come a long way in the past couple of decades. Once thought of as very much at the bottom of the accommodation pile, with a reputation for being sub-standard, many…
Read More