Councils given new powers to ramp up tax on empty homes

There are significant issues with the roll-out of the incoming High Value Council Tax Surcharge, but recent headlines seem a bit excitable.

30-40,000 custom and self-build (CSB) homes could and should be built in the UK each year, says Richard Bacon, in a report that rails against "houses designed by accountants".

“The tax changes introduced from 2016 onwards have undoubtedly taken the heat out of the buy-to-let market," argues Hamptons' research chief Aneisha Beveridge.