Councillors in Neath Port Talbot have voted to double the council tax paid by second home owners
People with a second home in Neath Port Talbot will have to pay double the normal level of council tax in future. The local authority has voted to bring in a 100% premium on the council tax payable by second homes in the borough.
According to Stats Wales, there are 555 second homes in the area last year. The same premium will also apply in future on the 1,146 empty homes in Neath Port Talbot.
The decision was given at a full council meeting where members discussed the increase in cost which is designed to bring long-term empty homes in the area back int
It comes after Welsh Government legislation was introduced in 2023 allowing all local authorities to charge premiums of up to 300% on these types of properties. For the latest Neath Port Talbot news sign up to our newsletter here.
A long-term empty dwelling is defined as one which is both “unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for a continuous period of at least one year” while a second home is defined as a dwelling that is not a person’s “sole or main residence and is substantially furnished”.
In a report Neath Port Talbot council said: “The charging of a 100% premium on long-term empty dwellings and second homes would raise additional revenue through council tax collection. This is estimated at a maximum of £2,389,858.21, based on the full year impact of a 100% premium, once both premiums are implemented (April 2025), and based on the current 98% collection rate at average Band D council tax rates.”
Cllr Simon Knoyle said: “As members we have all experienced the problems caused by long-term empty properties in our communities. The introduction of a council tax premium should incentivise homeowners to return their properties to good use.”
He added that a concession was included in the plans which meant if a property was deemed uninhabitable by the council when purchased the premium would not apply for six months to give the owner time to make it fit to live in.
The proposals were later approved unanimously by members despite opposition from residents who took part in a public consultation where 44% of 433 respondents said that they strongly disagreed with the proposal to introduce a premium on long-term empty properties.
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