Empty homes to be hit with 150% extra council tax

Owners of more than 1,000 homes that have stood empty for more than a year are to be charged 150% extra council tax in a Welsh county.

Gwynedd's empty home owners have already been paying double the rate (100%) of council tax since 2021, but a full meeting of councillors this week agreed to raise the premium to 150%.

The new rate, which mirrors the charge on second homes in the area, is part of ongoing efforts to tackle a regional housing shortage and will start in April 2026.

Paul Rowlinson, Cyngor Gwynedd's cabinet member for housing, said his main aim was to ensure locals can have affordable homes in their communities.

He added that there was "evidence from other councils that raising the premium by more than 100% is effective" in reducing the number of empty homes.

However, critics say high council tax premiums do not make homes affordable, and more new houses are needed.

Estate agent Dafydd Hardy said putting high taxes on holiday homes which local people could not afford, did not necessarily work, and it would be the "same for empty houses".

He added that building more houses where there is demand for them would better ease the problem.

Rowlinson said action is needed and that "some" of the money raised through premiums was helping to build more homes.

"There are over 4,000 people on a list for a home in the county," said Rowlinson.

"Around 20 people present to us as homeless every week and it is very important that we see houses as a resource for people to live in rather than as an investment or a way of making money."