Charity proposes council tax on unbuilt properties and landlord limited zones

Charity proposes council tax on unbuilt properties and landlord limited zones

12:06 PM, 24th February 2023, About A year ago 6

Text Size

A charity is warning of a ‘worst of all worlds’ downturn in the housing market and wants landlord limited zones to help restrict BTL and short-term let investors. 

With the Budget due on the 15th March, a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) considers the possibility of a serious downturn in the housing market and lists recommendations to minimise the impact.

Among the measures considered in the report are that the government should consider replacing council tax and stamp duty with an annual property tax paid by the owner rather than the resident.

Removal of the current Rent A Room tax break on short-term lets

The report suggests the removal of the current Rent A Room tax break on short-term lets, which currently gives landlords a £7,500 tax free allowance on rents, to discourage landlords from switching from long-term lets to other types of rental.

An increase on the stamp duty surcharge for investor purchases, removing tax breaks for short-term lets, and levying council tax on homes in new developments 18 months after planning permission has been granted, whether they are built or not.

The report also says that councils should be given the power to create ‘housing pressure zones’ where they can set the rules about who can buy properties in particular areas.

‘The government must tackle both the short-term fallout from the housing downturn we find ourselves in’

Darren Baxter, principal policy adviser at JRF, commented: “We are facing a housing downturn that will put vulnerable families and our country’s economic prospects into serious difficulty.

“The government must confront this head on and recognise that past approaches will not work this time.

He added: “Instead, the government must tackle both the short-term fallout from the housing downturn we find ourselves in and the deeper problems within our housing system.

“By acting now, and doing both at the same time, government will ensure we are better placed to come out of this downturn with a fairer, more secure and more affordable housing system in reach.”

The full report can be read here.


Share This Article


Comments

Paul Essex

13:04 PM, 24th February 2023, About A year ago

A truly scary idea in here. This would wipe out the student part of the PRS and impose massive increases on those who can least afford it.
This would include those on benefits and the disabled who are currently council tax exempt. The property owner by definition would not be exempt.

Old Mrs Landlord

14:00 PM, 24th February 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 24/02/2023 - 13:04And what effet do they think making landords pay the council tax equivalent will have on rents? Will they never realise that taxing the landlord is taxing the tenant? How many private landlords will be left when all the proposals of this institution are put into practice? The destruction of the PRS which will result is purely to prevent what they say will happen if a natural drop in house prices is allowed to occur as mortgages become more expensive while incomes are squeezed, i.e. that "cash-rich investors swoop in to buy up properties." and "rents continue to spiral". Rents spiral when landlords' costs spiral, you muppets!

Paul Essex

17:33 PM, 24th February 2023, About A year ago

It could actually be really bad if this tax is not an allowable expense. You would then need to increase rents by tax plus your tax so potentially council tax plus 40% and not getting a penny extra for your costs.

Old Mrs Landlord

18:35 PM, 24th February 2023, About A year ago

On reading a bit further I see that the authors do propose one sensible measure which I applaud - that housing benefits should increase to cover market rents. Not so keen however on the call for the extra SDLT on properties bought by investors to at least double to 6%!

Smiffy

20:58 PM, 24th February 2023, About A year ago

JRF is a charity and as such will already be exempt from business rates on any commercial property they occupy.

They would probably end up exempt from the very tax they propose by being a charity!

Looking at their returns to the charities commission, I think there is probably good grounds to ask HMRC to review their charitable status.

Might also be worth highlighting the number of £60k+ staff they have, and that the chief draws over £200k!

Kettle and pot spring to mind.

Here is the link to their returns, enjoy!

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5139424

Smiffy

13:44 PM, 27th February 2023, About A year ago

From the JRF website, the following statement.

"Joseph Rowntree was a visionary Quaker businessman and social reformer. He built New Earswick, a village in York, for people on low incomes, including staff who worked in his factory,..."

So the foundation admits their namesake underpaid his employees, and then basically locked them in to working for him with cheap accommodation. Shouldn't he have just paid them a fair wage so they could choose where they lived?

https://www.jrf.org.uk/about-us/our-heritage

Leave Comments

In order to post comments you will need to Sign In or Sign Up for a FREE Membership

or

Don't have an account? Sign Up

Landlord Tax Planning Book Now