14-05-2025
London second home owners should pay ‘much more' than double tax, says Khan
Second home owners in London could soon be forced to pay even more than double council tax, Sadiq Khan has warned.
The mayor is lobbying central government to give councils the power to charge homeowners 'much more' for leaving their properties vacant.
The news will strike a blow to thousands of homeowners in the capital already being hit by four-figure bills.
A 100pc council tax premium has already been introduced on second home owners across London, in boroughs including Hackney, Wandsworth and Kensington and Chelsea.
They were granted the power to charge the premium from April 1 under measures brought in by the Conservative government. The Telegraph is calling for the levy to be cut or abolished.
When asked about town halls charging double council tax on empty and second homes, Sir Sadiq told LBC: 'That's not enough. I want councils to have the power to charge much more for leaving your property vacant.'
He said flats in Nine Elms, south west London, were properties 'built like gold bricks investment', but weren't being lived in because owners know the 'equity will go up'.
He added: '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.
'I think boroughs should be allowed to charge much, much more. We're lobbying the Government to give councils more powers to dis-incentivise leaving a property empty.'
Elliot Keck, of the Taxpayers Alliance, said: 'Londoners have had to endure a miserable nine years under Sadiq Khan, with services crumbling and crime soaring.
'Now to add insult to injury, the mayor is advocating further punishing those households with second homes in the capital, despite rent already being extortionately high due to his failed housing policies.'
It comes after The Telegraph revealed MPs were told they can expense double council tax bills on their second homes.
MPs with constituencies outside of the capital are allowed to expense accommodation and the associated costs including council tax.
They often opt for flats in Lambeth or Westminster, which are close to Parliament – boroughs which have introduced the levy.
In an email leaked to The Telegraph, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) told MPs that their accommodation budget had been 'uplifted by a significant amount' to mitigate the additional charge.
Empty properties – unfurnished homes which have been vacant for more than a year – can be also be charged the 100pc premium.
It recently emerged that Labour-run Westminster council is plotting to seize control of thousands of empty homes. It has urged the Government to relax rules that allow local authorities to confiscate empty properties from two years to six months.
The Mayor of London was contacted for comment.
