Sheffield City Council has announced new powers to double council tax on second homes and start charging on homes left empty for over a year.
The additional council tax will bring in an estimated £1.1 million in the first year for the authority to spend on essential services, which is seen as the ‘first step in supporting the most vulnerable people in Sheffield.’
Previously, property was only labelled ‘long term empty’ after two years but the change in policy means that from April 2024 this has been reduced to one.
The tax on second homes will come into effect by April 2025 and will apply to houses that are furnished, with no resident frequently living in the home, for example, holiday homes.
This includes homes that are uninhabitable due to major works or residencies that are unoccupied but furnished between tenancies.
Jack Probet, 30, said: “I don’t think it’s fair to tax people double just because they’ve worked hard enough to afford a second home.”
But Richard Kiernan, 38, said: “This is absolutely the right move, second home owners and empty properties are a major factor in the housing issues in the UK.”
One Reddit user from Sheffield, @HelicopterFar1433, believed this new policy did not go far enough. They said: “We have a housing crisis and, at exactly the same time a huge chunk of our housing remains unoccupied, I’d be in favour of this going a lot further.”
Councillor Zahira Naz, the chair of the finance policy committee, said it has been a hard decision for the council to make but one that they believe is necessary to encourage people to put their empty properties up for rent or sale.
She said: “I can understand why this is difficult for people, but we are doing this so that empty homes can be put to a more productive use.
“This is the first step in making sure we are supporting the most vulnerable people in Sheffield.”
This new legislation will not apply to houses left empty due to the owner being in hospital or a care home. Homes left empty after the death of the person liable are also exempt.
Cllr Naz said the council had not yet decided what the extra £1.1 million would be spent on.
She said: “We’ve had 14 years of austerity and cuts from the Government, it’s been a challenging year and we have challenging years ahead.
“This is not a life changing amount to continue running the services we do, but it will help.”
