25th
May 2023
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, wants new powers to impose higher tax on empty homes and if he wishes to even seize them.
Khan blasts the ‘apparent’ 30,000 long term empty homes across the capital as scandalous with the RBKC (the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) having the highest concentration of around 1,600 empty ‘homes’, with a total worth of over £2.2 billion.
The Mayor demands the government gives him the ultimate power to fix higher rates of council tax on empty residential properties, which will include what he has called “mega-mansions” in areas such as Westminster. He says council tax levels in the borough are not seen as a deterrent to prevent owners from leaving their properties empty for some considerable time.
He wants local councils to gauge and decide upon effective deterrent levels of council tax surcharges to stop owners of properties which are remaining empty for long periods.
Khan along with the Labour leaders of Westminster council are busy lobbying ministers to allow councils to what they call ‘temporary measures’, take over empty homes via Empty Dwelling Management Orders which have been currently restricted over the last few years.
Khan backs his campaign by citing an example in Knightsbridge where a property has remained empty for nearly ten years, No 3 Trevor Square is an early nineteenth century, grade 2 listed four storey townhouse with the same number of bedrooms and is one of the 1,100 empty homes in Westminster.
Khan says: “It’s a scandal that so many much-needed homes across London lie vacant in the midst of a housing crisis. That’s why I’m working with Westminster city council to call on the government to implement a range of measures to crack down on long-term empty homes, including the devolution of powers so that local councils can set higher rates of council tax on vacant properties.
“This would not only deter absentee international investment, but would free up housing stock across the capital for Londoners.”
He continues: “We are also urging ministers to make it easier to allow the temporary take-over of empty homes using Empty Dwelling Management Orders, which have been restricted in recent years.
“Over the last few years we’ve started building a record number of homes for Londoners, but there’s still a long way to go to fix the housing crisis and it will require much greater national investment. But ministers should start by making it easier for councils to bring long-term empty homes back into use so we can continue building a fairer and more prosperous London for everyone.”
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