Consultation on potential second homes Council Tax premium
Derbyshire Dales residents are being asked for their views on charging the owners of second homes twice the amount of Council Tax as regular home owners.
A second home is defined as a dwelling that is not a person’s sole or main home and is substantially furnished. Second homes are sometimes referred to as holiday homes.
The Government is introducing a new power for local authorities to increase Council Tax on second homes by 100% (double the amount owners currently pay). Local authorities are able to charge the higher premium from 1st April 2024. Councils can decide the level which is appropriate for their individual local circumstances and can set the premium at any level up to the maximum.
A District Council spokesperson said “1 in 20 homes in the Derbyshire Dales are not used for the purpose of permanent accommodation, and instead are used as second homes, holiday lets or are empty. It is thought that second homes can add to house price inflation and put local people at a disadvantage when existing homes come on the market. The Council Tax Premium for second homeowners may encourage them to sell their properties or may well put off future buyers wanting to purchase existing traditional homes as second homes.”
The District Council is consulting residents and stakeholders on the proposal to introduce the Council Tax Premium on second homes and would like to understand the views of second home owners and the impact they feel second homes have on the community. They would also like to understand the views of local people affected by second homes and the views of the wider housing sector.
If the Council Tax Premium was to come into effect, the Council would receive additional Council Tax income and they would like to understand residents’ views on what they feel this money should be spent on.
The consultation runs until 10th March and can be completed at: www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/secondhomessurvey
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