Double Council Tax!!

Tucosalamanca

ReadySteadyPop said:

TroubledTarts said:

ReadySteadyPop said:

TroubledTarts said:

FlorayG said:

I've been reading this thread with interest. I own a small cottage in a holiday town, it's rented out to a local but she's leaving soon and I intend to sell it. I wonder if it will be bought by another local or by someone who wants a second home or even by someone who wants to let it as AirBnB?

Still seems to be good business in Airbnb in the right areas, a few more hoops to jump through now.

Even when good holiday location properties come up locals can't always afford them (depending on the area)

A company we are staying with in the Cotswolds soon seem to be buying up any property in the village we are going to as their portfolio has tripled in the last few years. No signs of holidaying in popular spots subsiding.

Things can turn very quickly, if we entered a recession for example, companies like this (how are they viewed by the locals?) will probably go bust relatively fast.

actually, if you look at recession information people often holiday back in the UK with staycations.

I really do wish you would research first before you start things as fact

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/aug/13/uk-recession-travel-holidays-staycation

https://the-cfo.io/2010/09/27/recession-gives-british-holiday-industry-a-boost/

When a recession ends people flock abroad but during they are more likely to holiday in the UK.

Those articles are from 2009/10 when base rate dropped to 0.5%, jobs were still relatively easy to find (maybe not your chosen sector, but still a job) That isn`t the case now, and central banks were embarking on the biggest money printing experiment in history, AND people had much lower mortgage debt and lower debt in general, so no there is no comparison with today where in actual fact it is cheaper in many cases to holiday abroad than in the UK. I am talking about a proper recession (last one that really hurt people was 1981) with large scale job losses. The world today with "tariff wars" etc. is utterly and completely different to the world of your articles.

So much nonsense in there, I barely know where to start....

ReadySteadyPop

Tabieth said:

ReadySteadyPop 
Ok, looks like the principle idea is the same all over though, scare off second home owners and get them to sell (at a heavy discount) to a local? Problems might be that it won`t discourage AirBnB and larger companies that hoover up property for rentals?

I imagine it’s more that Local Authorities are very cash strapped (some are effectively bankrupt) and Council Tax is their main way of raising funds. 

Yes, that is more the reality than concern for local families in my opinion, second homes were always going to be an easy target when the crunch came but I believe that AirBnB should be tax target No 1, that wrecks communities much more than somebody coming up from London for few weeks to relax in their cottage.

lincroft1710

ReadySteadyPop said:

lincroft1710 said:

Bookworm105 said:

ReadySteadyPop said:

sheramber said:

ReadySteadyPop said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg9y544wx3o

Looks like it might not be totally straightforward to just sell a holiday home?

Suffolk wasn't in Wales the last time  I Iooked.

It also seems to be in an area with many second homes , which may not apply to the OP's  house.


Their increased charge was already 100% which hasn't seemed to make any difference so hve now increased it to 150%. 

Thier intention is to increase the supply of houses for locals.  

If prices drop than that is to the benefit of any local buyers.

Not sure what you mean, the article is about Wales.

"Tom Williams has reduced the asking price for his house in Gwynedd by £40,000"

 the OP was talking about their Suffolk property, which is not subject to the specific actions of Welsh councils responding to strong anti second home sentiment from their electorate..

About 40 years ago some of the more extreme "electorate" had a different way of giving second home owners "a warm welcome"

Yes, used to be in the news a lot, but more recently than 40 years ago? When did that stop being a real risk of owning holiday homes?

The only reference I personally know is the NTNOCN episode referred to above which was made in 1980, so in fact at least 45 years ago.

Tucosalamanca

ReadySteadyPop said:

Tabieth said:

ReadySteadyPop 
Ok, looks like the principle idea is the same all over though, scare off second home owners and get them to sell (at a heavy discount) to a local? Problems might be that it won`t discourage AirBnB and larger companies that hoover up property for rentals?

I imagine it’s more that Local Authorities are very cash strapped (some are effectively bankrupt) and Council Tax is their main way of raising funds. 

Yes, that is more the reality than concern for local families in my opinion, second homes were always going to be an easy target when the crunch came but I believe that AirBnB should be tax target No 1, that wrecks communities much more than somebody coming up from London for few weeks to relax in their cottage.

Have you considered the employment that Airbnb brings? Cleaning and linen change after every stay.
It's the perfect job for a (local) parent who needs a few hour's work during the school day (the kind of job that is scarce and communities need more of).
A second home owner isn't employing a cleaner two, three, four times a week. 

ReadySteadyPop

Tucosalamanca said:

ReadySteadyPop said:

Tabieth said:

ReadySteadyPop 
Ok, looks like the principle idea is the same all over though, scare off second home owners and get them to sell (at a heavy discount) to a local? Problems might be that it won`t discourage AirBnB and larger companies that hoover up property for rentals?

I imagine it’s more that Local Authorities are very cash strapped (some are effectively bankrupt) and Council Tax is their main way of raising funds. 

Yes, that is more the reality than concern for local families in my opinion, second homes were always going to be an easy target when the crunch came but I believe that AirBnB should be tax target No 1, that wrecks communities much more than somebody coming up from London for few weeks to relax in their cottage.

Have you considered the employment that Airbnb brings? Cleaning and linen change after every stay.
It's the perfect job for a (local) parent who needs a few hour's work during the school day (the kind of job that is scarce and communities need more of).
A second home owner isn't employing a cleaner two, three, four times a week. 

Some might be, you don`t know that, and many Airbnb hosts may do their own bed changes etc. to keep costs down and maximise profit.

Tucosalamanca

If the host is handling cleaning and prep, that's still keeping a local in employment.

Olinda99

https://news.sky.com/story/second-homes-to-be-taxed-double-by-most-councils-a-naked-cash-grab-or-not-far-enough-13334068

ReadySteadyPop

Tucosalamanca said:

If the host is handling cleaning and prep, that's still keeping a local in employment.

They might not live in the same town/village as the Airbnb though? The Airbnb brings them an income but it brings the people living next to it a different group of people every weekend, some louder/drunker than others, if a local family bought it and lived there the "community" would be more intact?

Slinky

jimbog said:

Just came back from a weekend in Aldeburgh on the east coast of Suffolk. Walking down quaint rows of terraced housing and cottages we counted 2 out of 3 homes with those black key boxes by the front doors (airb&b). The streets were deserted as it was out of season

Don't know how you managed to find Aldeburgh deserted, we live not far away, go there regularly all year round and there's ALWAYS a good number of people around, it's a popular destination for weekend breaks in the winter. The problem that Aldeburgh, and surrounding areas, are experiencing at the moment is lack of housing with all the contract and new permanent workers for Sizewell needing somewhere to live. We overheard a shopworker in a shop telling someone about their problem trying to find a new affordable rental. If the OPs cottage is anywhere near Sizewell, there will be no problem finding someone to live in it.

ReadySteadyPop

Olinda99 said:

https://news.sky.com/story/second-homes-to-be-taxed-double-by-most-councils-a-naked-cash-grab-or-not-far-enough-13334068

Looks like someone interviewed agrees with what I said earlier in the thread, it should be based on use of local services, not living there all the time requires a discount not an increase.