Council considers eye-watering 300% council tax on vacant properties

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter

Properties that lie empty for more than a decade will be slapped with a 300% council tax premium with properties lying empty for less than five years facing a 100% hike.

Anglesey County Council’s executive agreed to the new rates at a meeting yesterday and they will be introduced from April 1, 2027, following a consultation held last year. There will be no change for the coming financial year, 2026-27.

The rates are the island council’s attempt to reduce the level of long term empty homes which “negatively affects” the supply of properties for local people to rent or buy”.

“This puts additional pressures on statutory council services, in particular housing services,” a report stated.

The executive had been discussing what to charge dwellings that have been unoccupied, and “substantially” unfurnished, for a continuous period of at least 12 months.

At its meeting on Tuesday (January 27) it agreed to note the outcome of a recent council tax premium consultation, held between September and November, over what to do about the homes.

The level of the premium would be based on the length of time the property has been empty,

This would start from the date the property first became empty, at a starting premium of 100%, the council’s deputy leader councillor Robin Williams said.

The premium for properties empty for less than five years would be 100%, between five and six years; 125%, between six and seven years; 150%, between seven and eight years; 175%, between eight and nine years; 200% and between nine and 10 years; 250%, and over 10 years; 300%.

Cllr Williams said: “The hope is that it will encourage people to bring empty houses back into use.

“This is to make more housing available for the people of Anglesey and to allow more people the opportunity to make homes their community”.

The executive was asked to approve recommendations for the consultation “option 5” for implementation from April 1, 2027.

It was also asked to consider how the associated income should be allocated in line with the council’s strategic priorities.

A report noted that “the decision will increase the level of funding generated through the premium, which can be used to provide financial assistance to local residents to purchase their first home and to provide funding that will allow the council to address other issues which affect the island”.

The consultation, which had been held between September and November last year, had seen a total, 449 responses received, 136 partially completed and 313 completed in full.

Of the 313 who provided postcode information, 288 (92.01%) were residents of Anglesey and 25 (7.99 %) had their main residence outside of Anglesey.

“The hope is, we will turn empty homes into actual homes, by encouraging the owners to let them or sell them to provide roofs over people’s heads.

“Everyone has a right to call somewhere home”.

Anyone worried about the looming situation was advised to contact the council, as there were a number of schemes and packages available to help people, and to help get homes back into use.