Local authority continues policy of taxing premium on empty and second homes

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A local authority will continue its policy of levying a council tax premium on certain properties, despite concerns that renovating homeowners are being “unwittingly” caught out.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council voted at a meeting on Monday, January 13 to continue with its policy of charging a council tax premium on long term empty homes and second homes.

As part of the policy, homes that have remained empty for up to 24 months are charged twice as much for council tax and properties that have remained empty for up to 36 months will be charged a 150% premium.

‘Caught out’

Homes that have been empty for more than 36 months will be charged a 200% council tax premium.

The idea behind the premium is to bring more empty homes back into use for families and individuals who need them.

Conservative group leader at Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cllr George Carroll, said his group supports the principle of bringing long term empty properties back into use.

However, he added that he could not support the policy in its current form after he was approached by a constituent who was caught out “unwittingly” by it.

Councillor Carroll said: “The case involved a first-time buyer who was living with their parents while they were renovating that property.

The individual faced a double council tax bill, since renovations “took longer than was anticipated.”

Mr Carroll stated it was “quite wrong for people to be caught by the policy like this.”

“I would even go further… and say it is counter-productive to do so.”

100% premium

Vale of Glamorgan Council started charging a 100% council tax premium on second homes from April 1, 2024.

The plans to levy council tax premiums were approved in 2023.

Leader of Plaid Cymru for the council, Councillor Ian Johnson, said he was in support of the council’s proposal to continue with the council tax premiums policy, referencing the number of homes that had already been brought back into permanent use.

A Vale of Glamorgan Council report states that 402 second homes were initially identified as being eligible to be subject to a premium when the policy was approved.

This rose to 508 properties in November 2023. However, the report also states that there are currently 339 properties subject to the 100% premium for second homes.

At the end of 2024, the Vale of Glamorgan Council had nearly 7,000 people on its council housing waiting list.

The council leader, Councillor Lis Burnett, said: “This council has supported a number of property owners to bring their empty houses back into use and I actually know in my own ward of two properties that have been a blight for many years that are now back and form part of the housing stock.”

“To base a policy on one case is quite difficult, so I won’t accept Councillor Carroll’s [point], except to say that this council is actually part of the empty homes grant scheme.”

The council concluded with the decision to retain the policy of charging the council tax premium on these properties.