Number of 'dangerous' properties falls for third year

The number of properties deemed "ruinous, dilapidated and dangerous" in the Isle of Man's capital has fallen by 26 in two years, a councillor has said.

Douglas Council records show that in early 2024, there were 62 properties on the list - a figure which fell to 51 in 2025 and now stands at 36.

Council leader Devon Watson said the ultimate goal was to get the figure to none, helped by changing the "incentives" around property owner's reasons for not carrying out repairs on their properties in the capital.

Watson said it was "unfair" to have properties, many of which were long-term vacant and in need of repair, while the island was in the midst of a "housing crisis".

Statistics on the number of private sector properties in the category have been gathered monthly by the Council's Environmental Service's Committee.

The committee has the power to conduct repair work on a property if deemed to be dangerous or unsightly before billing the owner.

The council can also impose fines or take a legal options if necessary.

Watson said the reduction in unfit properties had been down to "prolonged negotiations" with owners around their reasons for not wanting to invest and repair them.

"The option that has seen to have the most success is linking property owners with various schemes and taking a proactive approach - that has the ability to get a lot of those issues addressed through prolonged negotiations with them," he said.

"Generally the response is quite positive, you find out the reasons behind such dilapidation and very often you find an amicable solution."

He said part of the problem was a lack of incentives to get their properties in a fit manner to be put back on the housing market, particularly when such dilapidated properties paid no rates.

Watson said while some owners had inherited property but lived elsewhere or would "landbank and sit on property for multiple years", others were "asset rich but cash poor".

"We have a firm goal to declare war on long term vacancy and dilapidation," he said, "it's not fair to have such properties [in Douglas] whilst we have a housing crisis."

Douglas Council has set a target of zero "dangerous or vacant" properties in the city centre.

Watson said he would like to see Tynwald adopt a "firmer approach" to empower local authorities achieve that goal while enforcing rates on properties which have been vacant for an extended period of time.

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