People who own a second home on the Isle of Wight will pay more in Council Tax from April 2025, it has been confirmed. Meanwhile, those who own empty properties will pay more from April this year. Exemptions are being finalised by the Government. A decision has been made at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council on Wednesday evening (28th February). Those who live off the Isle of Wight but own a second home here will pay 200% council tax on their Island property, plus a further payment on their permanent address. County Hall says the charge will generate an additional £4.2million per year for Island services. Premiums for empty properties will now also kick in after just 1 year, not the current 2. Money raised from empty properties could make the council an extra £88,860 per year. Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Andrew Garratt said it would be ‘remiss’ not to take advantage of this opportunity, adding the ‘greatest good’ comes from levying the rate. No councillors spoke against the motion.
COUNCIL TAX PAYMENTS FOR SECOND HOME OWNERS TO INCREASE 100% FROM APRIL 2025
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That’s it then I will have to put up the rents on my properties on the island.my holiday will have to go. And buy one somewhere else.
You sound like a typical greedy landlord,i hope your tenants tell you to stick your rent rise up your ass,putting more financial hardship on your tenants equals one thing greed!
and please sell your “holiday home” and buy elsewhere,the mainland is ⏏️ way,im sure you can afford the ferry ticket,ta ta!
Go and find work. Then pay you tax then you can talk about rents to me.ta ta.
No need ,im retired ta ta!
But extra tax is only on empty properties? If they are rented then whatever.
Unless you’re saying that your rented properties are subsidising your second empty home that would be hit by tax but then… it’s a nonsensical argument, might as well say you’ll have to raise rent due to fuel being more expensive or Big Mac costing you more or literally anything else – the only correlation there is you, not the assets.
About time too, too many properties empty most of the year?
Yes indeed it’s about time ! …
This is, in effect, a fine levied on those who, by definition, actually use fewer of the council’s services.
Whist I understand the desire to ensure islanders are not price out of the housing market (assuming this isn’t just a cynical money grabbing exercise), it is unlikely to achieve that aim and may actually result in the opposite effect.
Also, I hope IWCC has funds in reserve to cover the legal costs and compensation resulting from the inevitable legal challenges this move is going to provoke.
Funnily enough for most houses (not flats) the council costs are in the net negative after council tax. Mostly due to utilities and road maintenance. If home sits empty and you’re not adding to local economy day-in and day-out, then the fact you don’t need your bins collected is not going to put you in the positive over other inhabited homes.
This won’t bother many second home owners. Having a second or third home here should be banned. Make it 10x the current rate and you might actually get somewhere.
There is an easy way round this used by many second homers ….register the property as a B&B then you will benefit from zero or reduced business rates
Just state that your second home on the island is your main residence and vice versa for your home elsewhere with no such punitive council tax increase.
”Exemptions are being finalised by the government.” So who might that be I wonder? Councillors and government ministers, tory donors, and all their rich croney mates, and all those who own multipul properties. Stinks already doesn’t it? And all the tax dodgers who are registered as living abroad but own a property in uk. Yep usual one rule one rule for them, a different one for us.
Too little to late, should commence from 1st April 2024
WHY THE WAIT!
Akin to charging a more wealthy person DOUBLE the price of their road tax (vehicle excise duty) JUST because they own two cars
The charge (CT) should be for services used, not a punishment wealth tax. That is something the Government impose not jumped up greedy and likely corrupt petty councillors.
Of course the universal credit mob who pay nothing or little are all for it
I’m on six figure and I’m all for it.
Discouraging flow of money from unproductive assets such as land or property and into productive investments is a key rule of capitalism.
The law of unintended consequences may kick in. Second home owners love the walks & slower pace of life on the IOW. They may well recoup the money they pay on council tax by taking a picnic & supermarket wine out instead of going to the local café or pub and & do their own repairs/decorating instead of using local trade. I already know caravan owners who bring all of their provisions from home & don’t spend in their resorts since site charges etc went crazy. I do hope this doesn’t end up like the Welsh communities whose second home owners deserted their holiday homes & a lot of local businesses went bust
If they can afford 2 houses (or more), they can afford to pay double the council tax.
As an islander I don’t agree with this discrimination. People shouldn’t make assumptions second homers are very rich, some are acquired by inheritance and other genuine reasons. We have a lovely couple in our small apartment block. They are here most weekends, their holiday time and all of Christmas and new year. They contribute so much and being elderly with family on the mainland, myself and another elderly neighbour are grateful for them as they always offer to take things to the dump, pick up any shopping in town and fix things in and around the block to save us additional costs on maintenance charges. We would be incredibly sad if they are forced to sell up as their flat was unsold for over a year.
Typical tory ‘fix’. People with second homes use less of the services they pay for but have to pay twice? The real fix is to bring back council estates. Then the working families who don’t have a rich mum or dad to give them the deposit will be able to find an affordable home. Current private rents are insane, often three times a mortgage would be. It’s immoral and disgusting.
I don’t have a second home (unless you count my man cave shed) but hang on useless Isle of Wight council for a moment but of these 2nd homes are worked for and paid for so what gives them the right to charge more? Less rubbish and use on the system if people are not full time living there! If I had the money I would buy a second home to stay in my favourite holiday location instead of paying for a hotel each time I go, I hate the mentality of if your well off you should pay more! It’s been worked for and taxes paid to get it! This council has lost the plot and desperate to rip people off, if they looked at their own problems and sorted them out we would all be in a better place!
And that Stan is exactly how local people and essential workers get priced out of the market.
It’s basically an empty or unused property that a local family could live in, it’s exactly the same in all holiday places in the UK. On the Isle of Skye you have to be an all year round resident of at least 5 years before you can own a property, the same should apply here.
What a load of bollocks. How can you be a resident for over five years before you can own a property?