In the news: Basildon Council to Double Council Tax on Empty Homes in Housing Crisis Crackdown
Basildon Borough Council is gearing up to tackle the housing crisis head-on by hitting empty and second homes with double the Council Tax.
On Monday 9 December the Council's Cabinet will consider plans to introduce a 100% Council Tax premium on second homes and tighten rules on long-term empty properties.
Under the proposals, from April 2026 second homes—properties that are furnished but not lived in full-time—will face 200% Council Tax bills, doubling the costs for owners who leave furnished homes sitting empty. Meanwhile, from April next year homes that have been left unoccupied and unfurnished for just one year will also be liable for the same premium, halving the current two-year grace period.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Gavin Callaghan, said: "Empty homes are a waste when so many people need housing. We're making it crystal clear: if you're keeping properties empty, it's going to cost you. This is about putting homes back into use and supporting our communities."
"This measure will only raise a tiny amount of revenue for the Council when compared to our budget, but it sends a signal to people who don't care about impact on our social fabric that leaving a property empty has. Homes left empty for months and years at a time don't just hog much-needed housing but can become magnets for trouble: squatters, anti-social behaviour, and a general drag on neighbourhoods. These measures aim to force owners to bring properties back into use, helping ease the borough's housing shortage."
Nearly 200 homes in the borough are currently classed as second homes and around 150 are long term empty properties. The Council believes the changes would bring in £363,000 a year from second homes and £311,000 a year from long-term empty properties, of which Basildon Council expects to receive around £95,000 annually from the combined measures—money that will go straight back into vital local services.
If approved, Basildon Council will join the growing list of councils nationwide using powers granted by legislation to make property owners pay for leaving homes idle.
The report is included in the agenda for Monday's Cabinet meeting, which you can view on the council's website - Basildon Council - Agenda for Cabinet on Monday, 9th December, 2024, 7.00 p.m.. The meeting will be livestreamed from 7pm.
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ENDS
Published Friday 6 December 2024