Owners of second homes in Wales are having to sell up. That’s no disaster: it’s a godsend | Will Hayward
www.theguardian.com
Council tax hikes on holiday homes aren’t ‘anti-English’ or detrimental to tourism. This is about preserving embattled communities, says Guardian columnist Will Hayward

geteilt von: https://sh.itjust.works/post/38301389

To try to tackle this, the Welsh Labour government, alongside Plaid Cymru, introduced measures to curb second-home ownership. This included giving councils the ability to push council tax on second homes to 300% the usual rate. They also closed a loophole whereby second-home owners could register as a business in order to pay the much lower business rates.

Gwynedd council used these powers to hike council tax to 150% in April 2023. By the end of 2024, house prices had fallen by 12.4% as second-home owners tried to sell up. In Pembrokeshire, house prices fell by 8.9% after the council increased the council tax to 200% on second homes (though this was reduced to 150% recently).

  • workerONE@lemmy.worldEnglish
    75·
    21 hours ago

    It’s 150% of the old tax rate, not 150% of the value of the home, in case anyone’s wondering.

    • Vincent@feddit.nlEnglish
      7·
      10 hours ago

      Damn that is a misleading title. “Wales is increasing taxes by 50% for second homes, and…” would be better. Or more accurate, at least; probably not generate more clicks.

    • 13igTyme@lemmy.worldEnglish
      63·
      11 hours ago

      Why would it be 150% of the value of the home. In most places in America the property tax rate is around 1%. This would make it 2.5%. that’s still a lot for the average boomer with a second home possibly on a fixed income from pension and social security.

      • Necroscope0@lemm.eeEnglish
        4·
        3 hours ago

        Boomer wants a second home he can put it in his grandkids name. Not like the kid is going to be able to afford his own place anyway till grampa dies and leaves everyone that boomer gold they got hoarded away

        • 13igTyme@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          2 hours ago

          Yes. That’s why I typed that I was referencing America when commenting on a European channel.

          Does that somehow negate the information as true? Do you think other places pay 150% of the value of the home every year in taxes? You could just buy a house every year and save money if that were true.