‘Encouraging’ signs after rise in tax premiums to cut empty and second homes

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

The number of long-term empty homes across a Welsh council area has declined for two years in a row, but a councillor says it is “too early to tell” whether increased council tax premiums are behind the drop.

Since April 2023, Powys County Council has imposed a 100% premium on long-term empty properties, doubling the bill, and a 75% premium on second or holiday homes.

Labour Deputy Council leader and housing portfolio holder, Cllr Matthew Dorrance, said empty properties are a “blight” on our communities: “They are often the source of antisocial behaviour and magnets for crime.

“We need to bring them back to contribute to the number of homes available for people in our communities.”

The council has put together a team of officers as part of an empty home enforcement plan with the aim of attempting to bring empty properties back into use.

This is being attempted by using a mix of incentives and enforcement where necessary, alongside a web page on the council’s website to allow the public to report empty properties.

Mr Dorrance said the action had “some success” but described the situation as “a complex arena”.

Liberal Democrat Council Leader, Cllr Jake Berriman, pushed questions further, asking for assurance that the investment being made by the council was driving a reduction in empty properties.

On the increased council tax premiums, he said: “While we do charge a premium, it’s not to raise additional finance to the council. It’s to bring empty properties back into beneficial use to the residents of Powys.”

‘Very encouraging’

Cllr Dorrance replied that it is too early to conclude the success of the premiums: “…it’s too early to tell whether that’s because of our interventions or changes in market values of something else.

“We’ve committed to a review in 2026 in relation to the premium and we will be able to triangulate that information further.

“But we can’t take our foot off the gas.

“We have a housing crisis here in Powys and we need every property to play its part because of those wider implications on social cohesion and strength of our communities.”

A report showed that the number of long-term empty properties dropped for two years consecutively: from 1,023 in 2023/2024, to 993 in 2024/2025, then finally to 921 this year.

Cllr Berriman brought up his own success story where he reported a long-term empty property in his ward to the council’s housing team, which led to the property being listed for sale.

He said: “While there seemed to be not much they could do about it; it wasn’t long before that property found its way onto the market.

“It’s now been sold and is lived in, which is very encouraging.” Cabinet noted the report.