Second homes. Whether you think they are a waste of resources or that we should have the right to own as many houses as we want, there’s no questioning that they’re a factor in the current shortage of homes in the UK. Now, one local council wants to double rates of council tax on second homes and make the city a ‘fairer place to live’.
From April, second homes in Oxford will be faced with a 100 percent premium charge on council tax, as the local authority has just given the new measure the green light. An estimated 668 homes within the city council's boundary will now have to pay double their standard rate.
Oxford City Council’s deputy leader Ed Turner said: ‘We really want to make Oxford a fairer place to live. If people have a second home in Oxford, it's only right that they make an appropriate contribution for local services.
‘We need this money, and I think we will be charging from the first moment that we legally can.’
The historic council tax hike on second homes in Oxford was supposed to come into action on April 2024 after being approved in February 2023, but the council was told they had to give home owners 12 months’ notice before the increase.
Edinburgh is introducing a tourist tax for overnight stays.
Three UK cities are the world’s most popular places to buy a second home.
Plus: how much council tax is going up in every London borough.
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