Holiday lets in Charlbury

Fri 14 Apr 2023, 12:02

Indeed Rachel. Most government initiatives seem to be about "helping families", when recent research shows that single people's living expenses are £860 per month more than as one of a couple, when rent, bills, mortgage etc are shared.

Thu 13 Apr 2023, 20:27

Great news. Although less of the “families” rhetoric would be nice. Those of us who are single and live alone would like to buy instead of being stuck renting too 🙄

Thu 13 Apr 2023, 19:36 (last edited on Thu 13 Apr 2023, 22:18)

Well done all those who contributed towards this important change which towns like Charlbury urgently needed to protect their communities, as well in a national housing crisis it simply being the right thing to do to prioritise limited housing stock to be “homes” rather than “investments”. 

Thu 13 Apr 2023, 18:38

Perhaps Mr Gove does read this after all! Glad he took my advice.

Wed 18 Jan 2023, 08:47

The one in seven stat is from latest Census figures.  However, it doesn't mean one in seven homes in the centre of town are empty or let out; it may mean people have principal homes elsewhere, or holiday homes elsewhere.

The figure is much larger than those for the rest of the town though.

The point about tax is well made.

Wed 18 Jan 2023, 08:05

Alice you make a very good point about the excessive and unfair tax advantages given to Airbnb’s and their wealthy owners. 

Apparently in parts of central Charlbury, one in seven houses are no longer occupied by local families permanently as they once were or available for local long term rental. Instead they stand dark and unoccupied for large chunks of the winter months. Nobody would say that a small number of Airbnb’s are not appropriate in a beautiful tourist area, but it is a question of magnitude, which has become a problem for communities in places like parts of Cornwall. 

The decline of properties for long term rental is of great concern for any sustainable community. Many, if not most people,  go through through a stage in life when they rent before trying to buy. 

Wed 18 Jan 2023, 07:11

I was wondering why landlords are changing from long term rentals to airb&b and I found this tax advice blog:  https://www.ukpropertyaccountants.co.uk/tax-on-airbnb-income/

Landlords out there will no doubt confirm or deny but there appear to be a number of tax advantages to higher rate tax landlords which favour airb&b over long term rentals.  I also don’t understand, if houses are being bought specifically for holiday lets and obtain Holiday Rental status with high occupancy rates and the same tax status as businesses, why do they not have to pay business rates and buy in bin services etc?  They are commercial operations far removed from the tax concession allowed on using spare bedrooms.

Sorry Nikki, I agree with Richard.  It’s not going to change anytime soon.  It’s another financial reward for the Conservative vote.  We need to stop splitting the anti Conservative vote.  

Mon 16 Jan 2023, 15:05

Holiday homes do serve a useful purpose and most of them will be occupied for the majority of the year. The numbers should be strictly regulated to ensure they are not disproportionate to community needs & the community should benefit financially from them. Second homes which are empty much of the year are different. In these days of housing crisis/ very poor or inadequate housing for a significant minority of people, plus over development, indefensible in my view.  

Mon 16 Jan 2023, 10:03

Play the ball, not the man. Especially if you’re posting under a pseudonym, “Harold”.

Mon 16 Jan 2023, 09:54 (last edited on Tue 17 Jan 2023, 12:34)

So according to some, it sounds like it is fine if the very wealthy,  just come in from outside and buy up a couple of what were local family homes, thereby pushing them out of the price range of many potential local buyers with long family roots in Charlbury.  Not a nice world if you are born, brought up and educated locally and not loaded. 

Sun 15 Jan 2023, 19:46

I know of one property in Sheep Street that is currently unoccupied as the owner works abroad but needs a base here when he returns to this country.

Sun 15 Jan 2023, 19:02

Walk up Sheep Street, down Church Street and then down Park Street and you’ll see for yourself. 

Sun 15 Jan 2023, 17:55

Nikki, sorry how many houses are unoccupied in the "Centre," of town? 

Sun 15 Jan 2023, 16:23

In the meantime, those owners who are unable to let their properties frequently enough to make a profit, or cover their expenses, do please consider selling.....rather than leaving them empty for months....so many of us are trying hard to buy and stay living locally, whilst endlessly gazing at all the shuttered up houses in the centre of town. 

Sun 15 Jan 2023, 12:51

Unfortunately the Government has failed to require Airbnbs to obtain planning permission for change of use, and Airbnb (the company) has spent millions worldwide organising fake grassroots organisations to lobby against regulation.

Couple that with the WODC Local Plan making new affordable housing development very difficult in Charlbury, and you end up with the situation we’re in.

I don’t have any hope that central Government of either stripe will do anything about Airbnbs, sadly. But perhaps a responsible developer might be prepared to pilot an affordable housing scheme through the maze of the Local Plan, and perhaps the upcoming Local Plan 2041 will be a bit more permissive.

Sun 15 Jan 2023, 10:35

I agree, Chris. It’s a political decision. Taxing higher would go some way to solving some of the problems, but not far enough, in longer-term planning, if that even exists.

Sat 14 Jan 2023, 22:37 (last edited on Sun 15 Jan 2023, 08:52)

Perhaps the Airbnbs should be charged double council tax like they are in some tourist areas in Wales. The income raised from the second council tax is ring fenced and used to help local families who can find it difficult to purchase in the local property market in tourist areas. 

Sat 14 Jan 2023, 21:22

Rosemary. You write, “For whatever reason, nobody needs a second home.” I’ve mentioned this before on this forum: a lot of people who condemn second homes and their owners conveniently forget their opposition when they swan off on holiday to a rented cottage… which is someone else’s second home.

Sat 14 Jan 2023, 19:45

If people want to spend THEIR money on legally purchasing second, third  etc houses, that is THEIR prerogative. Stop curtain twitching, trying to get involved in other peoples business. Good luck to them, they’ve obviously worked hard for their money.

Sat 14 Jan 2023, 19:28

There has been talk for years about the obscenity of ‘second homes’. For whatever reason, nobody needs a second home. Many thousands of people need a first home and can’t buy one. Ergo…?

Sat 14 Jan 2023, 18:02

So here we are in mid January and 90% of the Airbnb’s lie dark and empty, in what used to be local family homes. 

Fri 2 Dec 2022, 13:42

Ha ha! Can you tell him when you next chat that now would be an excellent time to call a general election?

Fri 2 Dec 2022, 11:37

Michael Gove doesn't read this forum, I just ring him up and tell him what he should do.....

Actually I'm alarmed that Gove and I are thinking the same thoughts.

Thu 1 Dec 2022, 18:27

Wow Matt, is Michael Gove reading your posts in this forum? Just reported in Guardian:

Gove offers curbs on holiday lets in talks with Tory housing target rebels

"The levelling up secretary is considering forcing landlords to submit a “change of use” planning application to the council if they want to turn properties into short-term holiday lets like Airbnbs..."

Wed 30 Nov 2022, 22:00 (last edited on Wed 30 Nov 2022, 22:08)

Ah, the moral maze!  We are all entitled to do as we wish within the law (cf William) but when the cumulative effect of individual decisions has suspect results for the rest of us, do we collectively have the right to say enough (cf Alex)? 

The easiest analogy (I can think of) is with tax avoidance.  Assuming you have some finances worthy of the name, you can lawfully arrange them to minimise your tax liability (and of course no-one else need know, unless you're a politician, in which case... - hey another discussion!).  But if say, a particular loophole means a substantial loss to the government's ability to do what we want it to do, shouldn't we be allowed to close it?

Others will no doubt be able to quote figures but my (sort of educated) guess is that if all the unoccupied properties in the country (which includes Charlbury ok!) were made available to those in need of a home, the 'housing crisis' would disappear overnight.  That's unrealistic of course - but think also of the savings in resources and carbon emissions if we re-used instead of building anew. So shouldn't we collectively be able to say enough - and do something to discourage?  The greater good etc??

There's a problem with the planning definition (cf Matt), from memory if only because a dwelling retains essentially the same characteristics however it's occupied.  But surely not beyond the wit of (your choice!)....

That's not even to begin to address the more overtly political issues, lack of social / affordable housing etc, a 'Debate' of its own.

Wed 30 Nov 2022, 09:19

Perhaps short-term rentals should be made a separate distinct planning classification so that owners would need to obtain change of use to make a holiday let/Airbnb from standard residential? This would allow councils to set and regulate numbers as part of a local plan, maintaining a balance between needs of locals and the need for tourism (which in Cornwall, for instance, is a big need for the local economy).

Wed 30 Nov 2022, 05:12

If you own a house - which by the way should only be permitted by uk residents or uk registered businesses - then that house should be occupied. The social dimension matters: as they're not making any new land treating a house in the same way as any other asset/commodity is inappropriate. 

Tue 29 Nov 2022, 23:12

...  But would people be happy to pay quadruple what they pay now when renting a property when they go on holiday? The owners would merely pass on the expense.

Tue 29 Nov 2022, 16:20

I have no idea who these people may be, but if they are keeping these houses empty as an investment, waiting to make a quick buck when circumstances allow, I would suggest that quadruple council tax would not be improper.

And the very same for Airbnb properties. I have heard stories about Airbnb customers abusing both the property (which I assume would be covered by insurance) and also the neighbourhood. Quadruple council tax would - maybe - give the neighbourhood something back.

Tue 29 Nov 2022, 13:15

Equally tragic that certain Charlbury residents keep hounding others for their private decision not to live in a house that they bought fairly and is entirely up to them to live in or not. 

This comes up at least once a year from the same individual, the empty house (not those rented out) and it is not our business nor is an explanation required about a choice someone else has made about whether to live in their house or not. As unpalatable as that might be. 

Mon 28 Nov 2022, 19:44

Absolutely tragic that those of us who cannot find a house to buy when we can no longer stay in our rental property, have to move away, especially when some of us have given a lot of time and effort, with pleasure, supporting this town by volunteering. 

Yes I see the visitors and their problems in parking on my daily walks up Park Street. And I note the sad empty houses every time. 

Mon 28 Nov 2022, 10:09

North Yorkshire has just become the first area in England to oblige second home owners to pay double the amount of council tax on properties that they own. Councillors hope the move will encourage second home owners to sell or rent out properties to help local residents struggling to find housing. 

The policy is due to come into affect on April 1st 2024. And, no, I don't think this is an April Fool's story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-63651752

Certainly worth considering round here ...

Mon 28 Nov 2022, 09:45

Rachel, there are rules in Wales and Scotland, but unfortunately no powers exist in England.  From what I can tell, all Brighton can do is regulate new builds.

We can all make our own minds up why this is the case, but it's clear that it's a growing problem that makes it harder for local people to stay living and working in Charlbury.  And frankly that's more important than encouraging rentiers.

Mon 28 Nov 2022, 08:35 (last edited on Mon 28 Nov 2022, 09:56)

Perhaps, a property used for visitors/tourism allows those not fortunate enough to live here a chance to have a holiday and support local businesses?  We all like to have a holiday away from home not everyone wants a hotel, two holiday properties on Browns Lane are generally busy most of the time. Surely if Air b&b didn't get the bookings the owners wouldn't keep doing it? 

The down side is of course, it does make it harder for others to buy properties, but we should be realistic not idealistic. Always two sides to an issue. 

Sun 27 Nov 2022, 20:37

Was it Brighton where moves are being made to stop this sort of thing? High time we had similar here. 

Sun 27 Nov 2022, 17:49

So the sixth home in Park Street made over to Airbnb or equivalent is now definitely the case - the new owners told us they were moving in, but I had my suspicions.  Yesterday I saw a bunch of walkers leaving the house. And there is still an empty house which has been that way for five years now.