Short-term letting in West Wales: Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion

Pembrokeshire's coast and the shores of Cardigan Bay

West Wales sells coastline. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park runs from Amroth to Poppit Sands, with Tenby and Saundersfoot for families, St Davids for pilgrims and walkers, and Newport, Solva and Little Haven for those who want smaller harbours. Across the Teifi, Ceredigion offers Cardigan, New Quay with its dolphins, Aberaeron's coloured houses and the university town of Aberystwyth. Cottages, coastal houses and converted farm buildings dominate, and demand is strongest from spring to early autumn.

The rules that apply across Wales

• Registration: since 1 October 2026 the Welsh Revenue Authority register is open to providers of stays of up to 31 nights, with a deadline of 31 March 2027. It is free; failure to register brings penalties.
• Licensing: the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026 provides for licensing, starting with self-catering, with March 2030 as the default start.
• Visitor levy: councils may adopt one, but neither Pembrokeshire nor Ceredigion has confirmed a levy as of September 2026.

Council tax premiums are moving

Welsh councils may charge up to 300% extra on second homes, but the two counties here have gone in different directions. Pembrokeshire raised its premium to 200% in 2024, cut it to 150% in 2025 and to 125% from April 2026, and is consulting on the level for 2027-28. Ceredigion introduced a 100% premium in April 2024 and increased it to 150% from April 2025. A self-catering property escapes council tax only by passing the business-rates test: available for 252 days and actually let for 182 days a year. The Welsh Government is consulting until 23 October 2026 on easing that threshold from April 2027.

Planning inside the national park

Within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, planning is handled by the park authority, and some permissions carry occupancy or holiday-use conditions. Check them before buying.

Our advice

Model the year honestly: if 182 let days is out of reach, the premium becomes a fixed cost. Stretch the season with walkers and off-peak breaks, and register early. Tell us about the property: we study every request and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.

Islands, surf and the Irish ferry

Boat trips set the rhythm of a Pembrokeshire holiday. From Martin's Haven, boats cross to Skomer, where puffins breed from spring into summer, and from St Justinian's they circle Ramsey Island. Coasteering, the sport of scrambling and jumping along rocky shores, is closely associated with the St Davids peninsula, and Whitesands Bay and Freshwater West draw surfers; the latter also appeared in the Harry Potter films. Inland, the Preseli Hills, source of Stonehenge's bluestones, offer open walking and ancient sites.

Fishguard's ferry to Rosslare brings travellers to and from Ireland, some of whom need a bed before a sailing. The energy industry around Milford Haven and Pembroke, with its refinery and gas terminals, supplies contractors in every season. In Ceredigion, Aberystwyth's cliff railway, the Vale of Rheidol steam line to Devil's Bridge and the National Library of Wales keep the town busy beyond student terms.

Practical points for owners

• A place to rinse wetsuits and dry them overnight is valued by surfing and coasteering guests.
• Boat trips depend on weather and tides; a flexible check-out helps guests who lose a day.
• Near Milford Haven, a house suited to working crews can fill winter months.