Sadiq Khan threatens large tax bombshell in recent blow to UK economic system | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Sir Sadiq Khan has stated second dwelling house owners in London ought to be compelled to pay greater than double regular council tax charges.

Labour’s Mayor of London advised LBC present measures, which permit councils to cost double council tax on empty and second properties, have been “not enough”.

Councils throughout the capital launched a 100% premium on second dwelling house owners final month after new powers got to city halls within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act from the final Conservative authorities.

But now the mayor is asking central authorities to empower councils to cost householders “much more” if their properties are left vacant.

Sir Sadiq stated: “I want councils to have the power to charge much more for leaving your property vacant. I think boroughs should be allowed to charge much, much more. We’re lobbying the Government to give councils more power to disincentivise leaving a property empty.”

According to figures from Hamptons, the City of London has the biggest proportion of second properties of any native authority, with 22.4% of properties not their house owners’ solely holdings.

Four of the ten areas with the very best shares of second properties are in London, all of which have carried out the council tax premium.

Behind the City, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden and Tower Hamlets have all seen 5-9% of their properties snapped up by present householders.

Of the highest 10 areas with the very best second dwelling proportions, solely the Isles of Scilly has but to impose the premium, which has seen some house owners hit with four-figure payments in some components of the nation.

London is battling a housing disaster, worsened by poor housebuilding numbers which noticed development start on fewer than 4,000 properties final yr, the second lowest quantity on file.

According to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the typical council tax invoice is about to just about from £1,883 in 2023/24 to £3,672 in 2025/26.

Sir Sadiq claimed flats in Nine Elms, in southwest London, have been properties “built like gold bricks investment”, however have been being left empty as a result of house owners knew the “equity will go up”.

The Mayor of London continued: “Wandsworth, great council, the max they can charge is double council tax. I am not being funny, if you can afford a flat and leave it empty, you can pay double council tax.”

But lliot Keck, of the Taxpayers Alliance, stated: “Londoners have had to endure a miserable nine years under Sadiq Khan, with services crumbling and crime soaring.

“Now so as to add insult to damage, the mayor is advocating additional punishing these households with second properties within the capital, regardless of hire already being extortionately excessive as a result of his failed housing insurance policies.”