Council Tax

If you want empty properties let instead of sitting empty perhaps the issue of evictions taking 6+ months and of the now very tricky regulations should be addressed.

martindow wrote: »

Are you really suggesting that tenants have excessive security of tenure?

Please read my post again. That's not what I wrote.

The law states from 2 weeks to 2 months notice to evict. If that was really happening with actual eviction taking place within, say, a month or 3 months of the notice, without plenty of traps only intended to trip landlords then perhaps owners of empty properties would be less cautious.

One argument about the Poll Tax was that five adults in one house get the same facilities as just a couple, so why should they pay more, but though each property gets the same waste collection (some very large household do get extra bins),five would have more wear on roads and pavements than a couple.

It would take some thought (oh councils can't do that unless thinking of ways of spending our money to their advantage) about where each service applies, but a basic charge , per household for services which are equal (like waste collection and fire service, callout not depending on number of occupants ) plus a per capita charge for services where more people mean more usage (parks, roads, schools).

Of course, whatever system is used, someone will object; those who don't choose to use a library or to have children who will require schools.