If you own a second or holiday home Wales is coming for you
The Welsh Government has announced a new plan they say has ‘fairness at its heart’ to ensure everyone in Wales can have access to good quality, affordable housing.
The three-pronged plan will focus on: – Support – addressing affordability and availability of housing,
– Regulatory framework and system – covering planning law and the introduction of a statutory registration scheme for holiday accommodation
– a fairer contribution – using national and local taxation systems to ensure second homeowners make a fair and effective contribution to the communities in which they buy.
There will also be a pilot area in Wales, to be decided over the summer, where these new measures will be trialled and evaluated before being considered for a wider rollout.
Other supporting actions, including the work on a registration scheme for all holiday accommodation and a consultation on changes to local taxes to manage the impact of second homes and self-catered accommodation, will also begin over the summer..
Last year, Wales became the only country in the UK to give local authorities the power to charge 100% council tax increase on second homes.
Minister for Climate Change, who is responsible for housing, Julie James said: “Meeting with Rachel, Josh from the Community Land Trust, Pembrokeshire Council, and the developers ateb today, has demonstrated how community action and good government policy can work together to bring fairness back into our housing market.
“The continuing rise of house prices mean people, especially younger generations, can no longer afford to live in the communities they have grown up in. A high concentration of second homes or holiday lets can have a very detrimental impact on small communities, and in some areas could compromise the Welsh language being spoken at a community level.
“We have already taken strides on some of these issues – last year we became the only nation in the UK to give local authorities the power to introduce a 100% council tax levy on second homes. But the urgency and gravity of this situation calls for further intervention, which means real and ambitious actions are delivered at pace, to inject fairness back into the housing system.
“Taking recommendations from Dr Brooks’ report, our new three-pronged approach will kick-start a summer of action which will determine how we tackle this issue now and into the future. I am calling on all political parties across the Senedd to get involved in this, as we look to empower our communities to exercise their right to live in good quality homes, wherever they are in Wales.”
Over the summer Welsh Government will work to:
- Work with stakeholders to agree the basis and location or locations for an evaluated pilot;
- Develop a coherent and effective support package to trial within the pilot;
- Frame a statutory registration scheme for all tourist accommodation and continue to engage with stakeholders on the shape of the model we will implement, including both the registration and inspection arrangements;
- Consult on possible changes to local taxes to support local authorities manage the impact of second homes and self-catered accommodation; and
- Establish a draft Welsh Language Communities Housing Plan for consultation in the autumn.
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Member Since September 2016 - Comments: 2533 - Articles: 73
1:48 PM, 7th July 2021, About 5 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 07/07/2021 – 12:53
Hi Luke
I’ve not seen that anywhere. As far as I know, the leap is straight from E to C.
Member Since March 2015 - Comments: 1969 - Articles: 1
1:56 PM, 7th July 2021, About 5 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 07/07/2021 – 13:48
I found this, Ros…
https://www.macandmac.co.uk/minimum-energy-performance-certificate-requirement/
Member Since September 2016 - Comments: 2533 - Articles: 73
2:08 PM, 7th July 2021, About 5 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 07/07/2021 – 13:56
Hi Luke
The way I read it – it’s confusing – is that a D will be necessary earlier in Scotland.
Member Since October 2019 - Comments: 402
2:21 PM, 7th July 2021, About 5 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 07/07/2021 – 14:08
I’ve been ‘confused’ for a very long time!
Member Since January 2020 - Comments: 1103 - Articles: 1
7:54 PM, 7th July 2021, About 5 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 07/07/2021 – 14:08
Everything is different in Scotland! In England we are still waiting for the government response to the consultation on EPCs (unless I’ve missed something).
Member Since June 2019 - Comments: 73
10:38 PM, 7th July 2021, About 5 years ago
Not sure how this went from holiday home taxation as the headline to future changes to EPC’s. Totally different subject.
Member Since August 2016 - Comments: 1190
8:32 AM, 8th July 2021, About 5 years ago
Seems to me this is all about self catering holiday lets, not long term rentals which are already covered by the Rent Smart Wales scheme.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3550 - Articles: 5
11:43 AM, 8th July 2021, About 5 years ago
getting of the thread a bit but…what are the proposed civil fines being proposed for LL’s not meeting the EPC C by the date stipulated?
Member Since January 2020 - Comments: 1103 - Articles: 1
12:34 PM, 8th July 2021, About 5 years ago
Reply to the comment left by DSR at 08/07/2021 – 11:43
No date has yet been stipulated, as I said before we are still awaiting the Government response to the consultation on all aspects of EPCs.
You need to read the consultation paper to find the answers to your questions. It is at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/946175/prs-consultation-2020.pdf
Extract from p44:
“We are therefore seeking views on raising the maximum fine to £30,000 per property and per
breach of the PRS Regulations. This proposed fine level is in line with feedback from the
expert stakeholder working group conducted by BEIS between October 2018 and January
2019.”
Member Since September 2016 - Comments: 2533 - Articles: 73
1:28 PM, 8th July 2021, About 5 years ago
In cases where the landlord tries to gain possession of the property, but the various UK governments are preventing them through long notices, closure of courts and long waiting lists etc., then perhaps if the tenants are still in situ at the given date – despite the landlords’ best efforts – and the EPC isn’t at C, the governments can fine themselves £30,000 per property as it will be their fault that properties are occupied when they shouldn’t be. They can also congratulate themselves on huge B& B bills, as landlords evict en masse.