Second home owners who leave their properties empty are to be hit with extra council taxes. If they leave the property empty for two years, they will have to pay an extra premium, of a 50% extra tax. The mandatory discount on holiday homes that are used only at weekends is also to be abolished.
Communities minister Andrew Stunell also yesterday announced a £145m fund to be shared between councils and voluntary groups to help tackle empty homes.
The aim is to renovate empty residential properties, including those in private ownership, and restore them to use.
Separately, squatting in residential properties is to become a criminal offence in Britain, after the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill received Royal Assent.
As from September 1, squatting will become a criminal offence, meaning that perpetrators will face up to six months in jail and a maximum £5,000 fine if they move into a home owner’s property.
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Comments
Paul. Of course - but the irony of the 'punishment' is crippling, is it not?
Take offenders benefits off them instead of housing them at the public's expense. End of problem methinks!
So rant second home owners are pushing prices up? Thought you were loving property prices falling, cake and eat it or just envious, they have 2 more than oyu!?
Peebee....You must surely have to agree that this new law is well overdue?Squatting has been a lopphole that far too many have taken advantage of!
"...squatting will become a criminal offence, meaning that perpetrators will face up to six months in jail..."
Classic. 'Punish' offenders who illegally seek free accommodation by putting them up in a room and feeding them four times a day!
"You buy something that is costing no-one anything except the owner and it is taxed OTT!"
Directly, yes. Indirectly though, second home owners have a notorious reputation for gobbling up limited supply of housing and pricing local people out of the area where they live. So, there is a wider cost to society at stake here. If the supply of land that could be built on was unlimited, then the case for not levying additional taxes on second home owners would be a lot stronger in my opinion. As it stands, these measures are long overdue in my opinion,
You buy something that is costing no-one anything except the owner and it is taxed OTT!
And this is a "Free" country?