Paying extortionate council tax on second home?

[NotaTorie]

I know how that sounds, but I am a HARD WORKING police officer with a second home in Wales (I live in England).

My council tax has just SHOT UP on my second home. This just doesn't feel fair at all. I contribute. I work so so hard. I don't think its very fair at all.

Are any of you in this position? After not even being able to travel down during covid this feels like such a kick in the teeth.

@Soontobe60

My stepfather is in a home, can’t sell his house as he’s not got capacity and is still paying Council tax on his property even though he will never live there again.

That's not really 'owning a second home' though is it?

I agree with this. Second homes should be charged even more Council Tax.

No one should have a second home till everyone has a first home.

YABU. I appreciate you are 'hard working' but it seems fair to me. A lot of families, who are equally as hard working are facing homelessness due to the housing crisis/shortage . As someone from Cornwall, second homes should be banned imo!

What are the laws on squatting these days I mean I often wonder with these holiday home is how long it would take the owners to realise that somebody was living there ?

To be fair that key worker public facing card has been well overplayed over this past 3 years. I'm a hard working teacher, carer, police, shop worker, nurse ect. I don't understand why these are special you do a job because you need money and you hopefully narrow it down to the one you would like to do. They have chosen to do this job given their qualifications. There are plenty of equally hard working software engineers, city analysts, company directors and builders who do equally stressful jobs they have equally chosen to do. To me you job is your choice it doesn't make you a saint or sinner. It's just your way of earning money and it certainly doesn't get you put up on a pedestal.

I think the advice to sell on here is wise. Yes it is coming from me, someone who has been priced out in part due to living in a tourist town, but when you look at the forecasts over the next few years it is wise. Especially if it is meant to be an investment or you don't actually use the property much.

If you are having difficulty paying council tax, are you able to pay a mortgage when interest rates are going up and will likely stagnate the market at best, or make the prices dip at worst. Section 21 notices are apparently ending soon, which could put BTL landlords off in your area too and make prices dip. It could be that your investment isn't much of an investment after all. I haven't even mentioned the cost of living crisis and mortgage rates increasing for some people yet and the impact this could have. If you look over in America, overpriced areas are dipping in value significantly now (average interest rate on mortgage up 2%), so it can happen, although might not happen here to that extent.

As it happens, I do think homes should be homes and not investments as this is what has caused this. There are plenty of other ways to invest too.

Have a look at the articles and data out there from economists (not biased sources who like to project housing as a good financial opportunity), it might save you a lot of money in the long run.

A good wind up. Nice one OP. An interesting thread though. Now the Jubilee has been brought into it, I wonder if the royals are affected too. The Prince of Wales has six homes including one in Wales. Still, I expect the HARD WORKING royals can afford it.

I grew up in Wales. You are one of the reasons the housing stock has plummet.

Zero sympathy here sorry, sell your second home to someone who needs it

They need to do the same in other areas that are being affected in the same way by second home ownership - I’m thinking areas such as Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, the Lake District and the Cotswolds. And it should be applied to second homes AND homes let out as holiday homes.

People are finding it impossible to afford to even rent in my town now thanks to second home ownership and homes being bought up and let as holiday homes. Land lords are evicting tenants from their homes because they can get more money letting them as holiday homes.

People can’t afford to eat or pay their bills - this is wrong and should not be happening! I see desperate posts from people on my local Facebook page every single day. My town is being gentrified but local born people are struggling to make ends meet and keep their homes / feed and clothe their kids. I’m sick of this country.

Yet some kids are facing homelessness and don't have a first Home ?

I know of someone who lives in an area where there's a huge amount of second homes. she has two disabled children and being evicted by her landlord, most likely so he can turn her house into a holiday home!! And she can't find anywhere else to live!!

Sadly life isn’t fair and I know friends who have bought their second home elsewhere because of the uplift in council tax in Wales.
Not sure if you’re a police officer but that’s irrelevant. I did find the comment about capitals amusing.
I think Wales has the right idea.
You will be getting an extra £400 from the government though towards the heating bills. 🍪

Given the crime round here, you ain't working hard enough. Come back from the Daily Mail when there aren't armed gangs stealing catalytic converters from dealer forecourts at 10am on a busy Tuesday in the city centre.

And so it should! Sorry OP, there aren’t enough homes in the country for the people who have none. If you really need two, you should absolutely pay through the roof for it.

If second home CT becomes incredibly high in Wales, the purchase price of what ciyjd be used as second homes in places like Cornwall will go even higher.

Well you'll just have to WORK HARDER and get a 2ND JOB to go with your SURPLUS 2ND HOME won't you. What you need is some budgeting advice, available from any random Tory MP and, if you're pushed, just pop in to your local foodbank which will, apparently, be full of well paid HARD WORKERS like you waiting for a handout just because it's free. Enjoy.

I know a police officer who owns 8 houses. You should definitely work harder.

I do wonder if this post is genuine 🤔. But whatever. I work just as hard as a police officer and I'm priced out of where I live because of second homes. I hope they sell up because of these changes. I have zero sympathy. Why should people have two homes? Get a caravan.

Do you have a Go Fund Me I can donate to?
We’re currently saving for a second house deposit after we had to close our business for a year and a half (Covid) and had to live on the first deposit we saved.
We’re doing this while paying extortionate rent and all the while house prices are going up and we’re getting priced out. Especially in the area we’re looking at because it is a popular choice for second homes to be left empty for most of the year.

Your plight sounds unbearable.

I live in West Wales. We are buying a house from people who can no longer afford their 3rd holiday home down here. In a street of about 30 houses, over a quarter are holiday homes and barely used when local families could be in them to live. I don’t even live in a holiday town we are just close to beaches. Now because we can move to a bigger house, another local family is moving into our current house and another local family moving into theirs, all who currently haven’t been able to move to appropriate housing because of people only using their holiday homes 3 months out of the year if that! Buy a caravan at a park , it’ll work out much cheaper and locals will actual be able to afford to live in their own towns.

I do wonder if this post is genuine

I know it seems goady, but knowing there really are police officers that tone-deaf and dim out there means it's hard not to take it at face value.

After all, we have actual MPs whining about not being paid enough in public. Why shouldn't their lackey bullyboys do the same. Especially as the government now owe them big time.

As always in this situation we have to ask: What would Nadine do ? Presumably there is a second-home-rap hole shape in the charts just aching to be filled.

She could even end it with a "tax drop".

I support the Welsh government on this. I would prefer a scheme such as in the Channel island of Guernsey where some houses are reserved for locals and those in specific roles.

PLEASE remember peeps, school holidays have started. Don’t feed the troll !

If he hasn't got capacity, he may be entitled to 100% exemption from council tax due to "severe mental impairment", @Soontobe60 .

Iirc, the form has to signed by a medical professional, but that shouldn't be too hard.

Imagine if it WAS genuine! 😂