tomandlu Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 (edited) https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/apr/20/over-200000-homes-in-england-still-lying-empty-despite-housing-shortages Quote More than 200,000 homes in England with a total value of £43bn were empty for at least six months during 2016 despite the desperate shortage of properties to rent and buy. According to official figures, Birmingham was the worst affected city outside London with 4,397 empty homes worth an estimated £956m, followed by Bradford and Liverpool. The wealthy borough of Kensington and Chelsea was the worst performer in London as super-rich owners rejected renting them out or selling up in favour of leaving their properties lying idle. The royal borough had 1,399 empty homes worth £664m, compared with second-placed Croydon, which had 1,216 empty homes worth £577m. Across London there were 19,845 homes sitting idle for over six months in 2016, which amounted to £9.4bn worth of property, based on the average price in London of £474,704. Apologies if already posted. Also... https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2017/apr/21/dont-feel-rich-on-70000-broken-housing-system-john-mcdonnell-labour-election Quote Put simply, if you earn £70,000 a year as an individual, you are rich. If you don’t feel rich, that’s because of a broken housing system. Edited April 21, 2017 by tomandlu adding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 I wonder how many of them were rented out cash in hand don't tell the revenue? Or lived in by an OO who didn't admit to being there for whatever reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamnumerate Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Those figures imply that the average price of a property left empty in Kensington and Chelsea is 474K and Croydon £450K - if my maths are correct- that sounds hard to believe. Although these figures sound bad, I wonder what it was 20 years ago when housing was a lot cheaper. Saying that a tax on empty homes sounds a good idea but what happens if you move abroad for work for a few months and can't find a tenant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideysid Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 (edited) I am not at all surprised Croydon is second on the list. I live there for my sins. Swathes of new build flats built everywhere, obvious foreign investor fodder because of the Westfields that's due to be built. A very high number of these flats look unoccupied, and who could blame them, after all who would seriously pay the silly prices to actually live here? Edited April 21, 2017 by sideysid . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantnrave Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 They've managed to fill 800,000 properties in recent years then. Progress. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/more-than-a-million-homes-currently-lie-empty-in-britain-9456263.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMonkey Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 4 minutes ago, iamnumerate said: Saying that a tax on empty homes sounds a good idea but what happens if you move abroad for work for a few months and can't find a tenant? Then you pay the tax. It may sound harsh, but if you can afford to run two households for one family then you should be able to pay for the social impact that this creates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamnumerate Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 14 minutes ago, MrMonkey said: Then you pay the tax. It may sound harsh, but if you can afford to run two households for one family then you should be able to pay for the social impact that this creates. Don't get me wrong I think this is a wonderful idea. However there could be some people who suffer due to time selling their house etc. I know someone who moved to Australia and it is taking time to sell their house here - of course they could lower the price but not everyone can afford to. Possibly the tax could be refunded for people who sell within a certain time - making it a buyers market of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlu Posted April 21, 2017 Author Share Posted April 21, 2017 12 minutes ago, iamnumerate said: Don't get me wrong I think this is a wonderful idea. However there could be some people who suffer due to time selling their house etc. I know someone who moved to Australia and it is taking time to sell their house here - of course they could lower the price but not everyone can afford to. Possibly the tax could be refunded for people who sell within a certain time - making it a buyers market of course. So, in other words, he can't find someone to pay enough for his house for him to get out without losing any skin? This is really nothing to do with your friend emigrating, and everything to do with why we need a tax on empty properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamnumerate Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 1 minute ago, tomandlu said: So, in other words, he can't find someone to pay enough for his house for him to get out without losing any skin? This is really nothing to do with your friend emigrating, and everything to do with why we need a tax on empty properties. To be honest I don't mind if this person loses some money, I want the tax to be bullet proof i.e. without any hard cases stopping it from happening. Please understand I have a 7 year old daughter and I want her to able to afford better housing than me (sadly not a view many of my generation's parents share) so I am in favour of this idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamnumerate Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 PS if anyone creates a good well worded petition for this - I would sign it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 You could say that about both housing and commercial property......whilst empty still has a rental value, can be used as collateral for debt security.......rent it out for less then the overall value becomes less.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RushRoad Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 200,000 empty homes as a % of the stock is less than 1% Most those empty homes are empty for major works. Next door house was empty for about 3 years while they did underpinning and structural works so its not a case of prime livable homes that are empty. Also a smaller number of part time homes eg one person I know lives in the UK for 6 months of the year and the USA for 6 months of the year. His home is empty for 6 months of the year but you can not count that as a empty house available to house people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 (edited) 3 hours ago, rantnrave said: They've managed to fill 800,000 properties in recent years then. Progress. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/more-than-a-million-homes-currently-lie-empty-in-britain-9456263.html Indeed although I suspect it might be something to do with the way the figures are being spun. If there were 800,000 in 2014 there's likely to be more now due to those bought and left empty by overseas "investors". Edited April 21, 2017 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrippie Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 On this - the house next door to me sold over a year ago, and is now empty. Its a large house in West London; which sold for a ridiculous amount of money and I have never seen anyone go in our out since. Its actually becoming a problem as we have started to get mice in our place. But the real point is that its a gorgeous large family house near central London, which a family would kill to have. I would happily sign a petition to disallow or heavily tax this sort of behaviour. Its already fully refurbished, so there is no realistic chance that they are trying to do some work and getting builders/planning etc. Is there anything in legislation at the moment to discourage this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Thing is if people can't find a place to live within a budget they are able to earn, because good homes are empty and unavailable to them, because empty homes available are beyond the reach of their affordability.....they move, one places loss is another places gain......no hope, no prospects, move to a place where you are valued, are recognised for the skills you offer that other places may today overlook, to their detriment not yours.....treat people as shit, they shit on you, treat people like they are worthy and valuable, they see to make you twice as valuable and work twice as hard for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janch Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 37 minutes ago, Chrippie said: On this - the house next door to me sold over a year ago, and is now empty. Its a large house in West London; which sold for a ridiculous amount of money and I have never seen anyone go in our out since. Its actually becoming a problem as we have started to get mice in our place. But the real point is that its a gorgeous large family house near central London, which a family would kill to have. I would happily sign a petition to disallow or heavily tax this sort of behaviour. Its already fully refurbished, so there is no realistic chance that they are trying to do some work and getting builders/planning etc. Is there anything in legislation at the moment to discourage this? A raise in council tax would help cosiderably plus would help local authorities fund their services. I'm surprised councils don't charge double or triple council tax for empty properties empty for longer than say 6 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarlips Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 46 minutes ago, Chrippie said: On this - the house next door to me sold over a year ago, and is now empty. Its a large house in West London; which sold for a ridiculous amount of money and I have never seen anyone go in our out since. Its actually becoming a problem as we have started to get mice in our place. But the real point is that its a gorgeous large family house near central London, which a family would kill to have. I would happily sign a petition to disallow or heavily tax this sort of behaviour. Its already fully refurbished, so there is no realistic chance that they are trying to do some work and getting builders/planning etc. Is there anything in legislation at the moment to discourage this? If you are genuinely keen to challenge the system i suggest you sublet your current place out cheap to friends/family and have a go squatting next door. There was a story of squatters quite openly living in a big old London gaff ( owned by Russians?) a few months back, would be interesting to hear how theyre getting on. Years ago squatters rights meant you could own the place if youd lived there i think 15 years? Imagine at current prices things wouldnt be so simple anymore.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
long time lurking Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 6 hours ago, Si1 said: I wonder how many of them were rented out cash in hand don't tell the revenue? Or lived in by an OO who didn't admit to being there for whatever reason? I would imagine the stats come from council tax records Tax them is the answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s14068/Appendix 3 - Local Authority Action On Empty Homes.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maverick73 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 the UK did not have a housing supply problem, it had an affordability trap problem... that problem will always remain.... low salaries, allow more people to work and expensive living costs means your trapped. A slave in debt, not in chains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 41 minutes ago, maverick73 said: the UK did not have a housing supply problem, it had an affordability trap problem... that problem will always remain.... low salaries, allow more people to work and expensive living costs means your trapped. A slave in debt, not in chains Actually for the thousands that did buy, did repay, have no debt and live in a place where the jobs pay well......they are living in the cheapest area of the country.......everything bar housing inc CT, Water, communications and Transport, even food if purchased in the right outlets is cheaper than living in many other places of the country..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futuroid Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Don't worry, once we leave the EU, some magic will happen and all these problems will go away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maverick73 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 8 minutes ago, Futuroid said: Don't worry, once we leave the EU, some magic will happen and all these problems will go away! Unless the magical Lib Dems win the election :o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maverick73 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 13 minutes ago, winkie said: Actually for the thousands that did buy, did repay, have no debt and live in a place where the jobs pay well......they are living in the cheapest area of the country.......everything bar housing inc CT, Water, communications and Transport, even food if purchased in the right outlets is cheaper than living in many other places of the country..... Blame the 'new' Labor for the mess, spin was presented... BS was delivered :o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
long time lurking Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 53 minutes ago, Futuroid said: Don't worry, once we leave the EU, some magic will happen and all these problems will go away! Are you saying this problem would be fixed if we were staying ....give me strength Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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