Council tax doubling for empty homes!

[worriedftb]

This is coming into effect from April 1st. This is amazing !

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/crack-down-on-long-term-empty-homes

I'm not sure this will have as much of an effect as the government or councils are hoping to be honest.

Second holiday home people usually don't have money worries as they have a house that they have exclusively for holidaying in and those that rent holiday style houses out on the likes of Air BnB or similar will just increase the price of the rentals. All this will do is push people into staying away from the area and in heavy tourist dependant towns (seasides etc) it will probably make it even worse

Yes it will bring in some extra much needed funding for local councils once they are allowed to apply the extra charge to second homes. That won't happen before April 2025 as I understand it.
I agree with the principle but not sure it's as big a change as you hope op.

I think people are saying they don't think it will be a big game changer, but I already know two people worried about it, so my assumption is that will spread. I think it'll be great as extra funds for local areas that are much needed, agreed :)

This has already been in place for properties that have been empty for more than two years, with a 100% premium. From April 24 it seems the norm for many councils will be to charge a 200% premium for properties empty more than 5 years and 300% for properties empty more than 10 years.

Sorry I've realised this is with regard to second homes rather than fully empty properties.

I think it’s a step in the right direction.

The whole council tax system does need reform, and it’s tricky judging the balance of what would be popular.

@BranchGold what annoys me the most more recently is JEREMY hunt's bullocks about us being double taxed (income and nI) when infact we are TRIPLE taxed when you add council tax. Council tax is worse imo because it's tax after you've been income and NI taxed. This country is so ridiculous, no wonder we are losing talent left right and centre.

apologies for use of caps, just very passionate atm! thanks for your comment too

Is it for 2nd homes, comes into force next year and announced for April fools day

haha, love the april fool comment.

i think it comes into force this year 2024. and yep, second homes that are empty for more than a year. i think it's forcing people to either rent them or sell up, which is fair.

why do people have empty second homes anyway? isn't that a security risk?

why do people have empty second homes anyway? isn't that a security risk?

If they have the money and want a nice house somewhere to go on holiday whenever they wanted, why not. Likewise if you wanted a cheeky Chinese (other takeaway options available) every week but i can barely afford to do a weekly food shop, why not.

that analogy is way off the situation with housing tbf

Not really. People can do what they want with their own money, surely.

How do they define 'empty'? No permanent resident? If you sleep there one night is it not empty?

We have a second home that isn’t rented out. We’ll just pay the increased council tax, it won’t make us sell or rent it. Others we know with a second home feel the same.

Security risk? Not for us. We have someone local that checks on the property regularly for us and does odd jobs/maintenance/gardening etc.

For Council Tax purposes second homes are charged the same as empty but furnished properties. So nobodies permanent residence.

Within the confines of what governments conclude is damaging to wider society. Second homes left empty for most of the year are damaging to the communities they're in and a form of hoarding when there's a housing shortage. It's entirely justifiable to introduce a tax burden on those doing it to either discourage them or help offset the cost to councils of dealing with the consequences.

How do you reconcile the moral issues out of interest?

@Bishbosch so any home that lacks a permanent resident gets charged? Does this also apply to airbnbs?

How does anyone reconcile the moral issues of living their life?

Do you live a life without harming people, environment, animals etc? Generally people don’t, and yet they’re not asked to justify themselves.

We live a life that we’re ok with, like mist others I expect.

most

This has been in Scotland for years.

Personally, I couldn't. Seeing so many families in temporary homes, many of them absolutely trying their best, and these poor kids. Our kids - UK kids! How can we do that to our own countrymen/women? I find it immoral too. But my dad, who is a successful businessman always said, it's usually the dimmest people who rely on property for their retirement. Same about landlords, he'd say why would anyone want to be a LL, only the dim! I'm just saying what he always says, not to cause offence lol. Most people who know wiser invest in other better options, those who know, know.

Good ol' Scots!! Sometimes I think about moving there!

That’s your choice. I find lots of things immoral that are done by many. We all just have to do what we are comfortable with.

We’re not relying on the property for our retirement. It’s just a home we use for holidays, which used to be our main home before we moved. We have good pensions and other investments for our older years so your dad doesn’t need to concern himself. 😅

Does anyone know how this will actually work though? How will a council determine a property is a second home, and is empty? I have two properties. As it happens at the moment I spend about half my time in each, and pay council tax at the full rate (less the 25% single person discount) in each as well. What's to stop me continuing to pay council tax at each location, and just spend less and less time in one? I guess they could use the electoral register, but it's entirely possible to register in more than one location. You just can't vote more than once