The Door That Never Stays Still: Holiday Lets and the Homes Bridgend Cannot Spare
Photo: Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bridgend is not short of reasons to welcome visitors. The coast at Porthcawl and Rest Bay, the heritage of the valleys, and the growing appeal of a weekend away in south Wales all bring money into local businesses. But a visitor economy is not the same thing as a housing policy, and too often in 2026 the two are being asked to share the same front door.
In communities from Ogmore-by-Sea to the valley wards, I am hearing the same account. A house that was once a family home is now a key safe and a changing set of names on a booking app. The lawn is cut by a contractor. The bins appear on different days. The neighbours no longer know who lives next door because, in any meaningful sense, nobody does. Meanwhile, the rent for the flat down the road has risen again, and the young couple who grew up here cannot find a tenancy they can afford.
A Visitor Economy, Not a Housing Policy
Let me be clear at the outset: this is not an argument against tourism, and it is not an argument against every second home or holiday let. Some owners let responsibly, know their neighbours, and add genuinely to the local economy. The problem is scale and consequence. When a meaningful share of a small housing stock is converted into short-term accommodation, the effect is felt across the whole market. Landlords who might have offered an assured shorthold tenancy can earn more from weekend lets. Sellers can market a property as an investment rather than a home. Estate agents begin to price in the holiday market. The result is a quiet transfer of housing from people who live in Bridgend to people who visit it.
That is why I have been pressing for better data. We cannot manage what we do not measure. The Welsh Government's short-term let register is a start, but residents need to know that the information is being used to understand local concentrations, not simply collected and left in a spreadsheet. I have asked Bridgend County Borough Council to publish a clear annual picture of short-term let numbers by ward, alongside the number of households on the housing waiting list. Transparency is the first test of any serious housing strategy.
The Premium and the Threshold
The 2026 council tax premium rules are an important lever, but they are not a magic wand. In Wales, councils can apply a premium to second homes, and the Welsh Government has given local authorities greater flexibility to set higher premiums where housing pressure is acute. The intention is straightforward: to make it less attractive to hold a property empty or as a occasional retreat while local families cannot find a home. For 2026, residents should check the council's published policy on premiums and how it applies to their area.
The complication is the threshold. A property that is genuinely let as short-term holiday accommodation for the required number of days can be treated as a business for council tax purposes rather than attracting the second homes premium. That is a legitimate rule for real businesses, but it creates an obvious incentive for some owners to describe a property as a holiday let in order to avoid the premium. The test should be evidence-based, not a matter of assertion. If a property is being used as a de facto hotel, the council needs the tools and the will to say so.
Where Planning Leaves a Gap
Planning law is where the gap is widest. In many cases, moving a home into short-term letting does not require a planning application, because it is still, in law, a dwelling. Neighbours can therefore find that a house has changed use without any public consultation, any notice, or any chance to make representations. That is not a sensible way to manage housing in communities where every home matters.
I support calls for clearer national guidance on when short-term letting amounts to a material change of use. I also want the council to use the enforcement powers it already has. If a property is being used for purposes that go beyond the terms of its planning permission, or if a development has been created without consent, residents should be able to report it and expect a response. Enforcement is not anti-business. It is the mechanism that keeps a level playing field for the responsible majority.
What Residents Can Do
If you are worried about a neighbouring property, there are practical steps. First, keep a simple diary: dates, guest numbers, noise, bin issues, parking, and any safety concerns. Facts carry weight. Second, contact the council's council tax team and ask whether the property is registered as a second home, a short-term let, or a business. You do not need to give your name to make an initial inquiry. Third, if you believe there has been a change of use without permission, ask the planning enforcement team to assess it. Fourth, raise the issue with your ward councillor and with my constituency office. We can help you navigate which body is responsible for what.
It is also worth remembering that short-term lets are subject to health and safety, fire safety, and licensing requirements depending on their scale. If you have genuine concerns about safety, report them to the council's environmental health team. Do not assume that someone else has done so.
A Balanced Ask
None of this is about closing the door to visitors. It is about keeping a door open for the people who live here. Bridgend needs a housing market that works for nurses, teachers, apprentices, and older residents who want to downsize without leaving their community. That means measuring short-term letting properly, applying the premium fairly, closing the planning loophole, and giving residents a clear route to be heard. I will continue to raise these points in Parliament and with the Welsh Government, and I want to hear from constituents who are living with the consequences. A key safe is a small thing. The housing it takes out of reach is not.
