Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has said that people who leave their homes empty in the city should be made to pay much more in council tax.
He believes councils should be allowed to more than double the tax on empty homes so they can be freed up for people who actually need somewhere to live.
In an interview with LBC, Khan said, “I’m not joking if you have the money to buy a flat and leave it sitting empty, you should be able to afford double the council tax.”
He mentioned a part of London called Nine Elms, where expensive flats have been built but remain empty.
He explained that these properties are bought as investments, like gold bars, and the owners are simply waiting for the value to rise instead of living in them. He added, “They haven’t even been lived in. People just bought them to make a profit.”
He also gave the example of Wandsworth Council, which currently can only charge double the usual tax on empty properties. Khan thinks that’s not enough. He said, “If you can leave your flat empty, then you can certainly pay more tax. Councils should be allowed to charge much higher rates.”
Khan is now pushing the Government to give local councils more control, so they can discourage people from letting homes sit empty for years while so many Londoners are struggling to find a place to live.
This statement came after Khan also said he’s seriously thinking about building new homes on some green belt land to help with London’s growing housing problem.
He described how many young people are stuck living in their parents’ homes for too long, and long-time London residents are being forced out because they can’t afford rising prices.
He also mentioned that some primary schools are closing down because fewer young families can afford to stay in the area.
He said the housing crisis is causing deep and widespread damage, affecting people’s lives and communities all across the city.
