Second Home owners doing sad faces in the press about council tax increase

[CornishTickler]

Just read an article online about the second home council tax increase and there are couples with sad faces saying it was without warning and is against their human rights! It wasn't, its been in the press and talked about by councils for over a year. It wasn't a surprise, areas with high levels of second homes knew it was coming.

I for one am glad about the tax. Our village has been destroyed by second home owners for years. A lot are badly maintained and empty for 80% of the year.

The argument that they bring extra income is also misleading. Most true second home owners who only visit a couple of times a year don't contribute much to the economy but are very vocal in interfering in local issues to the detriment of actual residents. One example (I'm not joking on this) was to oppose the planning of a local business that would benefit the community with jobs and tax revenue because of the endangered newts! luckily common sense prevailed but honestly they got very vocal and aggressive about it. It was mainly because they didn't want it to impact their second home.

Holiday makers bring revenue. Absentee second home owners do not.

Hopefully the second home tax increase will increase council tax revenue and help to support our community and vulnerable people.

I agree 👍

Well diddums. They have destroyed whole communities.

I agree, I think they have destroyed communities. No sympathy for second home owners.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/01/zero-self-awareness-second-home-owners-council-tax-england

The articles in last Saturday's Telegraph were so funny you would need a heart of stone not to laugh.

I agree OP 👍

It won’t change anything though. They’ll just pay it.

Totally agree. Blightvon small villages everywhere. They don't contribute to the economy with shopping and services etc

Fuck them

Also from Cornwall and I agree with everything you say, but hey, lay off the newts! Sensitively managed development (so not those massive shiny new houses with concrete and gravel gardens 🙄) can work around wildlife.

The second homers torpedoed plans for a jetty for the fisherfolk to land their catch round our way. They could afford some extremely expensive lawyers.

I dont understand something. Disclaimer I do not own a second home but if I could i would (not jn the UK though).

so OP said holiday makers brings money.
not second home owners.

how does that work?

if i go on week end breaks I stay in hotels.
if I go on holidays i prefer self catering, villas, etc.

how can you both have holiday makers but no owners to rent their home to holiday makers?

if I ever owned a second home in my country, i would use it in the summer and rent it when I m not there.

Genuine question, how do the Beckhams etc get round this?
Because no way do wealthy people pay double council tax.

If they can afford a second home they can afford the council tax. Second homes have hurt local people and priced them out of buying a house locally. Tenby in Wales is a perfect example.

It wasn't for shiny new houses, it was for a new business that would create jobs in the community, so sorry the Newts had to go. But take heart, they were given generous relocation packages 🤣😂

I live in Cornwall too. Second-homers can fuck right off.

We need less holiday cottages and more hotels, guesthouses, hostels and campsites. If that means that holidaymakers don't get their own house for a week, then so be it. We're in a housing crisis and I'd argue we can't afford the luxury of residential homes being reserved for holiday use.

It’s not always that simple. DH had Parkinson’s and, due to his inability to work, we got into debt and had to sell our beloved family home of 25 years. We then rented but decided to buy a holiday home, not really a second home as we didn’t own another. We were able to get away easily as we couldn’t travel abroad any more due to his illness, the last time I went abroad was 2019. We let the house out to help pay for it but it’s not a “business”. Sorry if you don’t agree with it and I understand in principle, but it’s not always just what opponents think.

It's really difficult now.
You have to advertise your property for 180 days and let it out for 120 or 140 days( not sure).
No one can stay for more than 28 days as that becomes a short term let.

We let our property for 6 months to a charity. From this year we will be charged double council tax when the property is not let so we can no longer carry on this arrangement and the charity will have to look elsewhere.

A lot of second home owners don't rent their property out. So their economic activity is limited to only a few weeks a year.

So for the rest of the year the property stands dark and empty. The only economic contribution it makes to the community during this time is council tax. Water and electricity goes to corporate profits.

Meanwhile, families can't rent or buy houses locally and holiday makers pay higher amounts for those cottages that are let.

Your proposal to rent your property for the rest of the year doesn't put you in this category.

The increase in council tax will at least make sure the revenue is doubled from those empty properties.

I'm sorry for your individual circumstances but yes that's a second home, and yes that's a business.

I agree with higher taxes on second homes and I wish we had it here. They are both a luxury and not good for the local economy, which is a perfect target for taxation. Things you don't need and are socially and economically costly - cigarettes, cruise ships, second homes - all seem prime targets.

I live in a pretty place but the "wrong side" of a chemical plant and it's a blessing, honestly! All the offcumdens buy up the valley but we're safe here behind our industrial curtain wall. 😂

Sorry to hear about your DH.

My dad has Parkinsons. The local support services provided by the council have been drastically reduced due to lack of funding.

Hopefully the increased revenue will help to bring back community support for all vulnerable people.

Increasing the council tax liability is long overdue and in my opinion goes nowhere far enough. I'd do a lot more than double it.

Ok I hear you.

but then you go back to having more development in areas that dont necessarily have more space to allow for developments as sensitive as they may be for the wildlife.

i love camping but I would NEVER camp in the UK where weather can be so rubbish even in the pic of summer! Not even for all the money in the world 🤣.

i think it s a difficult conversation in which all parties should reasonable and ready to compromise.

locals NEED the money tourism brings, and more council taxes is a good way to raise extra money but locals need to be honest about what tourism bring them. Take some islands in France, locals understands that from June-September with pics in mid July to mid August, is what keep their businesses afloat for the rest of the year.

on the other side, second home owners MUST accept that yes they need to pay more taxes, and need to contribute to the local communities.

look at the netberland. The daughter of one of my client lives there. She had to apply to the government for the right to buy a place which she could only do after living in the country for x number pf years (cant remember), then once she was approved, she will be allowed to sell or rent it AFTER having loved there for 3 years.

i think something like that ie. Number of days living in the local community should be the rule.

do you think that could a conversation to be had?

There is no way to get round it. The Beckhams have millions so the doubling of council tax would not affect them and if it did, they would just rent out their house to holiday makers to raise funds.

They wouldn't rent their house out.
I bet they have a live in housekeeper or something.