Would a tax hike on second homes in Moray make sense?

Proposals that would allow Moray and other councils to increase tax on second homes have been welcomed by one of the local authority's elected members.

Jérémie Fernandes (Elgin North, SNP), who is his party's spokesperson on the council's housing committee, believes the proposals would be a step in the right direction in tackling the shortage of rental properties in Moray.

He said: "The high number of second homes and empty properties in Moray is a significant concern.

"We need to take action to ensure that these properties are not sitting idle while local people struggle to find affordable housing.

"The Scottish Government's plans to allow councils to increase tax on second homes will help to make these properties less attractive to investors and encourage them to be used for residential purposes.

"Back in November, I wrote to the Scottish Government to demand that councils have the powers to increase taxes on second homes. I'm very pleased that this campaign is now producing results."

There are currently 1633 properties in Moray that are either empty or second homes, while over the border in Aberdeenshire the figure is 3757.

Cllr Fernandes is encouraging residents to respond to the Scottish Government's consultation on tax changes for second and empty homes.

This runs until July 11 and seeks views on a range of proposals, including the introduction of a new levy on second homes and the removal of council tax discounts for empty homes.

It can be found HERE