Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to have little sympathy for this landlady facing a £20,000 tax bill

165 replies

cakeorwine · 11/05/2025 08:50

You need to listen to the story

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0l91m83

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gegkxxlg3o

It sounds like she had 8 holiday lets in Blackpool. If a holiday let is not let for more than 70 nights a year, then it becomes classed as a second home.

Under a second home, she is liable for Council tax.
6 of these now seem liable for backdated council tax and she faces a £20,000 backdated tax bill.

Apparently landlords have been given a year to prepare.

She is worried about the tax bill and says that if she goes to the hospital, she hopes its bad news.

She also talks about famiiles who have come regularly to the lets.

But if the properties aren't being let for more than 70 nights a year, then they aren't very popular holiday lets - and should be occupied by people who need a home.

Maybe she should rent out some of the other properties to people who need a place to live in to pay the tax bill.

As an aside, it's also interesting to read the BBC article which does not mention the details of why a let might become liable for Council Tax payments.

'My £20k tax bill for holiday lets classed as second homes' - BBC Sounds

Since new rules came into force, 9,000 properties in England have been reclassified.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0l91m83

OP posts:
bombastix · 11/05/2025 10:54

In the scheme of things she’s not exactly hard done by is she? She will have to manage. The sob sob story is most unattractive; the reality is she will cope.

cakeorwine · 11/05/2025 10:54

Chiseltip · 11/05/2025 09:26

Absolutely 💯!

Lots of people who want to go on holiday need a place to stay.

True.
People going on holiday need a place to stay.
People living in a place need a place to live.
If a property is marketed as a place to stay is only occupied for less than 70 nights a year, could it be better used as a place to live?

OP posts:
User46576 · 11/05/2025 10:53

70 nights a year seems low- surely lots of holiday lets have quiet periods. That said, surely she should either pay council tax or an equivalent for holiday lets

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 11/05/2025 10:52

minnienono · 11/05/2025 09:03

70 days is barely over 2 months a year, why doesn’t she long term let? I’m sure there’s families who need homes. No sympathy there. I’d make it 100 nights or more myself

She makes more money by holiday letting, is the simple answer.
Zero sympathy here.

thepariscrimefiles · 11/05/2025 10:50

Hwi · 11/05/2025 10:24

Gloating is never attractive. Gloating as a result of envy is particularly unattractive.

How on earth is it envy? I would absolutely hate to be a landlord and so would lots of people.

Not having sympathy for someone who has eight properties to rent out but who would rather be diagnosed with a terminal illness rather than sell one of the property to pay her tax bill isn't envy.

BeNiceWhenItsFinished · 11/05/2025 10:47

Chiseltip · 11/05/2025 09:26

Absolutely 💯!

Lots of people who want to go on holiday need a place to stay.

All the people who actually live and work (on low pay) in the holiday destination - where are they supposed to live when all the reasonably-priced properties have been bought by holiday-let landlords?

cakeorwine · 11/05/2025 10:44

SirRaymondClench · 11/05/2025 10:34

So much nastiness and jealousy these days.

She's paid tax on all these places she bought and you're all happy to air b n b them when you want to stay somewhere for your weekends away but begrudge someone having worked to pay for and bought them.

The income to local businesses from people renting her properties will be massive.

To be glad someone has a £20k bill for anything is disgusting.

Edited

But she is only letting them out for less than 70 nights a year.

Do you think local businesses would get more income from people who could live in them for longer than 70 nights year?

OP posts:
SerendipityJane · 11/05/2025 10:40

Hwi · 11/05/2025 10:24

Gloating is never attractive. Gloating as a result of envy is particularly unattractive.

How about gloating because by stupidly following the law (unfashionable though it may be) no of us is facing the consequences of our actions ? Is that allowed ?

I can guarantee that had this story concerned someone with a less British surname and complexion, the gloating would have started with the Daily Mail story.

SirRaymondClench · 11/05/2025 10:34

So much nastiness and jealousy these days.

She's paid tax on all these places she bought and you're all happy to air b n b them when you want to stay somewhere for your weekends away but begrudge someone having worked to pay for and bought them.

The income to local businesses from people renting her properties will be massive.

To be glad someone has a £20k bill for anything is disgusting.

RedToothBrush · 11/05/2025 10:33

Hwi · 11/05/2025 10:24

Gloating is never attractive. Gloating as a result of envy is particularly unattractive.

Huh.

So saying that a woman taking the piss out of the system and trying to get out of taxation, in the middle of a housing crisis is ...

...check notes ...

Jealousy

As opposed to grifting and getting caught out trying to grift.

Ok then.

Dahliasrule · 11/05/2025 10:32

Being nosey. I had a look at her letting website. The flats are very basic but the rates are really low. I should have thought they would have had no problem letting them all year round.

Hwi · 11/05/2025 10:24

Gloating is never attractive. Gloating as a result of envy is particularly unattractive.

ShiftingSand · 11/05/2025 10:24

RareGoalsVerge · 11/05/2025 09:14

This is a non-story surely. She owes £20,000 but owns numerous properties. She just needs to sell one property for at least £20,000 and she's sorted. Why involve the press?

This. News must be thin on the ground at the moment. She would also be liable for capital gains tax but would still have enough to pay off the outstanding tax. It’s clickbait for the anti landlord brigade though😂

RafaistheKingofClay · 11/05/2025 10:21

Tbrh · 11/05/2025 09:41

I agree, there's something sus about this. No one would have this many properties sitting practically empty unless there's something else to it.

Exactly. Up until earlier this year I lived in a flat owned by a couple who rent flats out as holiday lets in a seaside resort. They are full between April and end of September and they are cheap shitholes. Any that don’t get filled can be let out year round to locals or the council can let them to house people on the housing list.

Leaving them to stand empty is a choice or they aren’t empty.

I like the fact that the BBC has pointed out that there are lots of landlords in this situation in Blackpool but fails to point out this might just be because there are loads of landlords taking the piss.

Twiglets1 · 11/05/2025 10:17

RedToothBrush · 11/05/2025 09:53

BBC. Ask questions?

How very 2005.

What can I say. I'm not young.

RedToothBrush · 11/05/2025 10:16

People can have a second home they don't visit at all in a twelve month period anyway.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 11/05/2025 10:15

Zero sympathy and I have been a landlord myself in the past.

FortyElephants · 11/05/2025 10:15

cakeorwine · 11/05/2025 10:09

TBF - they are not "second homes" as such - as the person who owns them does not go and live in them occasionally.

But they are clearly places that people could live in as a home but people can't live in them as she is renting them out as holiday lets - but not for many nights.

Unless it's "off the books"

And yes - the BBC could have challenged her on her with some questions.

There is no moral or legal difference between a second home and these properties.

RedToothBrush · 11/05/2025 10:12

cakeorwine · 11/05/2025 10:09

TBF - they are not "second homes" as such - as the person who owns them does not go and live in them occasionally.

But they are clearly places that people could live in as a home but people can't live in them as she is renting them out as holiday lets - but not for many nights.

Unless it's "off the books"

And yes - the BBC could have challenged her on her with some questions.

Legally they ARE second homes as defined by the local authority.

cakeorwine · 11/05/2025 10:09

FortyElephants · 11/05/2025 10:04

That's what second homes ARE

TBF - they are not "second homes" as such - as the person who owns them does not go and live in them occasionally.

But they are clearly places that people could live in as a home but people can't live in them as she is renting them out as holiday lets - but not for many nights.

Unless it's "off the books"

And yes - the BBC could have challenged her on her with some questions.

OP posts:
FortyElephants · 11/05/2025 10:04

Viviennemary · 11/05/2025 09:10

I have a bit of sympathy because they obviously are not second homes. So basically she is owning 8 properties which are unoccupied for most of the year.

That's what second homes ARE

cakeorwine · 11/05/2025 09:56

Rummly · 11/05/2025 09:39

This just makes me think even more strongly that government should radically intervene in the housing and rental markets. People just shouldn’t normally be allowed to own houses they don’t live in themselves, and then only one home.

If you want to be a landlord - including short-term lets, Airbnb etc - you should be regulated very heavily indeed.

I agree.

It would annoy some people - but people need places to live in.

I wonder of all the potential "bed nights" rental properties have, what percentage are actually occupied?

This is a real issue in tourist places - look at what's happening in Spain at the moment.

OP posts:
ThatsNotMyTeen · 11/05/2025 09:56

RareGoalsVerge · 11/05/2025 09:14

This is a non-story surely. She owes £20,000 but owns numerous properties. She just needs to sell one property for at least £20,000 and she's sorted. Why involve the press?

Exactly

cakeorwine · 11/05/2025 09:54

ThejoyofNC · 11/05/2025 09:53

OP you do realise this woman can easily afford to pay a £20k bill? She owns at least 8 properties. Save your sympathy.

Eh?

OP posts:
Justforthisoneithink · 11/05/2025 09:54

Viviennemary · 11/05/2025 09:10

I have a bit of sympathy because they obviously are not second homes. So basically she is owning 8 properties which are unoccupied for most of the year.

Yep so she’s hoarding property with no real purpose if they’re not being occupied much. Therefore she needs to abide by the rules on paying tax on those properties.