Owners of second homes and empty properties on the Isle of Wight could be charged more in council tax to help free up housing for local people. The Island is currently facing a housing crisis with more than 80% of its private rented stock becoming unavailable for long term lets since the pandemic. Around 15,000 households are struggling to find accommodation with those on the lowest incomes unable to afford current market rents and prices. By reducing the amount of time a property can be empty, the Isle of Wight Council aims to bring more homes into productive use while raising additional money to support vital services for Island communities. Equally, those who are fortunate enough to be in a position to own more than one house can help in their support of the local community, according to Cabinet papers released this week. Proposals are due to go before Cabinet next Thursday (8th February), but any changes for second homeowners would not come into effect until 1st April 2025. There are likely to be exceptions, such as properties undergoing probate and seasonal homes where year-round occupation is prohibited. Full Council will consider the plans on Wednesday 28th February. Councillor Ian Stephens, deputy leader and Cabinet member for housing and finance, said:
“The council’s vision is ‘to enable everyone living on the Island to have a place they call home and can live with independence.’ “Many of residents are affected by the limited rental housing market on the Island and are experiencing great financial difficulty in trying to find suitable affordable rented accommodation. “Putting additional charges on empty homes encourages property owners to bring these buildings back into use, helping to tackle the housing need we face on the Island and prevent sites falling derelict and becoming eyesores. “Meanwhile premiums on second homes mean those who visit the Island for only part of the year can support our local services year-round – and again encourages owners who do not use them to free up the property for local residents.”
‘to help free up housing for local people’
Or, probably more accurately, ‘to help free up housing for undesirables being rehoused from the mainland’
exactly that , whybring others over if you cant home locals
Well overdue. Good to see HMRC taking more interest in let propery income also.
Get ready for those ‘Nudge’ letters, time to be honest or cop a penalty/fine/conviction
Disgusting. Just because the Government is too weak to take any meaningful action over a ‘never ending’, and never ending, in the true sense of the word, then people who have worked hard to gain a property here will be punished to create indirectly more housing for those people who any sane person, unless making money from them, would not want in the UK.
Whilst these second homes may not have an imm as a tenant, the fact that they don’t all stay in a hotel or ship forever, means housing stock across the UK is taken eventually by them pushing people further afield to find a home, hence it effects us too.
Many hate second home owners, yet rarely do they commit crimes, take up a hospital bed, add to doc, dental waiting list etc
They may not commit crimes etc… but they do add to the housing crisis which inevitably leads to more and more homes being built on green land. If you’ve got loads of money, just buy a few more cars/boats rather than a second/third home that’s rarely used. BUT if you insist on having more than one home, be prepared to pay more for it (which won’t make much of a difference to the rich).
I sincerely hope that this scheme gets off the ground. There are too many empty homes for what ever reason and too many second homes pricing first time buyers out of the market.
What a load of b@ll@cks
Why should normal households pay more due to empty households.
Any homeowner who owns more than 1 home or leaves a property empty
should be made pay double or even treble Council tax
“THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM”
I have had enough of these thieving B’stards at the Council charging us more!
You don’t have my respect and never will!
I don’t think that would solve the problem. If people can afford a second home and then afford to leave it empty, they can also afford to pay treble council tax on it and not worry about it.
Why should people pay more council tax for using virtually no services? They might only use their holiday homes for a few weeks each year but you expect them to pay full council tax or more to support local services that they will receive no benefit from. What a ludicrous notion.
I don’t expect them to do anything. I’ll think you’ll find it’s the voice who thinks this should be done.
Empty homes should pay more because…
1. Council still maintains the road, utilities and so on for even an empty place, while people who own it add less to local economy than others.
2. Land in UK is scarce and having a land with a house that doesn’t host anyone is unproductive use of that scarce resource.
3. Owning a house is not a productive use of money overall (i.e nothing new is added if it just sits there empty) from a neoliberal point of view and such things should be taxed more according to Adam Smith among others, so even massive capitalism fans agree.
What a load of old shit.
Exactly, if you cannot afford the rent now move to a cheaper area or get a better job to pay the rent, don’t expect the government to do it for you.
I don’t. The voice does.
Try actually reading the report. They are not saying that they will charge ordinary households the extra tax, they will charge the very people you are moaning about, second home owners and owners of vacant properties.
This is yet another example of the councils gross incompetence. This was spoken about this time last year and here we are a year on and nothing done!
Councillor expenses go through quick enough as does an absorbinate rise in council tax every year but when it comes to getting money in from second homers delay after delay in taking action! Must ask is this because councillors own some and need time yo sale them or increase rents ready to cover any rise?
Yet more proof The Island is being run by a bunch of crooks.
Where is the Island MP on these UNFAIR charges??
I personally have had enough of this Council.
Aren’t Tories the party of neoliberal capitalism?
In which, as Adam Smith stated it, unproductive assets, such as empty houses that don’t produce anything, should be taxed more to discourage people from putting their money in them (and owning multiples) and rather invest in productive assets like companies?
i would like to know how many 2nd homes on the Island are used solely for Holiday lets for more than 135 days per annum. the owners make no financial payments to the council because they are in the Non Domestic rates system,
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/business-rates-find/search
select local authority, select business type etc etc
NB if rateable value is under certain amount – no rates payable
It really pxxxxs me off that people who have empty properties are being made to feel guilty of the fact that poorer people haven’t got a home to call their own.
It’s not our fault!! Why should we have to give up our family legacy and inheritance and give it to others, when the councils should be doing more to make it easier for people to get on the property ladder or afford rent and basic living costs!
The empty hotels and beach huts and dilapidated buildings should be looked into before ordinary people with houses for sale are because nobody can afford to buy them!, it’s not our fault. It’s a bloody farce and cop out if you ask me!
Not all have money and the sale of these houses is our legacy which we must share with our families
Communists! Just because I worked hard and got second homes, doesn’t mean I should punished. If you don’t have multiple homes, you should work harder!
Communists?
Thats literally the point of Adam Smith’s neoliberal capitalism to tax unproductive sssets like housing more to discourage people from hoarding them and instead encourage investing in productive assets like companies.
That’s as pure capitalist and liberal ideas as you can get. Directing flow of private capital to productive assets is so far away from communism I can’t fathom how you can think that. It’s classic Smith.
What a load of shit.
So penalise those that have been industrious in their life and replace it with those that will never pay full rent or council tax as it will just come out of benefits…. paid for those that have worked hard.
Let’s just consider, second home owners who pay full council tax, look after their property and come to enjoy the island and replace it with ……. I daren’t even say it….
Idiots. Total idiots. I’m already talking to people who are going to sell their holiday apartment which is booked by holiday makers all year. Even less tourist footfall to the Island.
If you’re renting a property this won’t apply it’s if it is left empty. So why would your friends be selling their accommodation?
We know why they will really be selling.
How will this help the poorer people money grabbing cnuts
What a smokescreen it’s because the Council has mis managed the funds !!! Let’s get it right, I think they are set on taking us to bankruptcy because of it.
If people are unable to afford currents rents now how will taxing second homes assist them as the extra tax will go to the council to waste on other schemes. Landlords set the rent on properties and here they react to demand which is high by raising rents you can see that by the lack of homes for rent here, so those renters must have the money or the landlords would sell up creating even less homes to rent.
How much longer before everyone will be paying £5,000.00 a year
Council Tax!!!!!
Personally I think we should favour what The Isle of Man and Jersey do, if your not born here or have not worked a significant amount of years on The Island you cannot retire here, that would free up houses for Islanders and may even drop prices a bit and force building destructers like “Pinky Pink Pink” to actually build affordable homes for the youngsters not say a %will be affordable if your from London or Home Counties affordable.. And let’s be honest this washed up bunch of idjeets led by a convicted drunk floated this idea last year and as always did b…. r all about it.
Can’t really see a problem with this… If you can afford a second home you can afford an increase in Council Tax (the rich will always be rich). If you don’t like it, don’t have an empty house sitting there for 90% of the time.
Not all second home owners leave their premises empty for long periods. Some visit VERY often. Home working has made it possible to work anywhere and why should hard working people be penalised for the rewards that their hard work has brought? The increased council tax will not help those who cannot afford to rent! House prices / rental is more reasonable on the island than in many other areas! May also point out that many properties are only for owner occupation! Those properties would never be available le for renters!