"A west London council is poised to hit second-home owners with a major tax hike as it looks for new ways to plug growing budget gaps. This will effectively double the bill for owners who keep properties empty. For Band D homes, owners must pay 1,952.38 a year in council tax. Around 750 second homes are registered in Hillingdon and are likely to be affected by the changes unless they have a valid exemption."
"We're still fighting hard to combat the real-time impacts of increasing demand for services and prolonged underfunding. And while this has meant we've had to seek EFS, we are also proactively continuing to prioritise the delivery of our savings programme to further cut costs and identify efficiencies while remaining committed to ensuring residents don't pay as much council tax as others."
Hillingdon Council will apply a 100% premium to second homes that are empty and substantially furnished where no qualifying exemption exists. The premium will effectively double the council-tax charge for affected owners; Band D properties currently face a £1,952.38 annual charge. About 750 second homes are registered in Hillingdon and are likely to be impacted. Central government allowed councils to introduce the extra tax from April 1, and 211 authorities implemented the rule immediately. Some boroughs with many holiday homes could raise substantial revenue, while Hillingdon seeks Exceptional Financial Support until larger grants begin in 2026/27.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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