Welsh tourism chief claims hiking council tax for second homes is ‘not working’
Tourism Alliance’s Suzy Davies believes the sale of second homes is ‘not improving the supply of affordable housing’.
Councils were given the ability to hike council tax by up to 300% for second homes to pressure owners into selling up and making property more affordable for locals, but it is not working according to Wales Tourism Alliance Chair Suzy Davies (pictured).
Instead it may be harming local tourism businesses, which are a vital part of the economy in many parts of Wales.
Davies says: “The Welsh Government’s own research suggests that its policies are a number one concern with professional holiday accommodation businesses inadvertently caught up in the drive to control the number of second homes.”
Second homes coming back onto the market are not improving.”
She adds: “Current observations suggest that second homes coming back onto the market are not improving the supply of affordable housing for local people. At the same time, genuine local businesses, misdescribed as second homes, are also having to sell up when they aren’t really the policy’s target – again without providing efficient, affordable homes.”
Round table meetings

To address the issue, Wales Tourism Alliance and Propertymark are inviting estate agents to participate in a series of round table meetings in early October, sharing their firsthand evidence which will be presented to the Cabinet Secretary, Jayne Bryant MS, in November.
Propertymark’s Policy and Campaigns Officer, Tim Thomas also said: “I am confident our members and any other property agents wishing to take part in the study, will provide insightful feedback on the impact the legislation is having on housing, tourism and the overall impact on the Welsh economy.”
Any property agents wishing to take part in the online round table meetings on 7th and 8th of October are invited to contact [email protected].