INVERCLYDE Council is being advised not to increase council tax charges on second homes and long-term empty properties, despite having the power to do so.
A report going before the policy and resources committee on November 17 recommends retaining the current 100 per cent premium, meaning affected property owners will continue to pay double the standard council tax bill.
Council officers say there are currently 68 second homes and 300 long-term empty properties in Inverclyde, down from 101 and 318 respectively when the second homes premium was introduced in 2024.
The policy was designed to increase the supply of housing by encouraging owners of second and empty homes to either occupy, rent or sell their properties.
The introduction of the premium prompted more than a quarter of second-home owners to provide updated information about the occupancy of their properties.
Homes subsequently found to be occupied were removed from the scheme.
In 2023, the Telegraph reported that 582 properties had been vacant for six months or more, while there were 120 second homes in Inverclyde.
Scottish Government regulations introduced in 2023 gave councils powers to apply increased council tax charges to second homes, with further changes in 2026 allowing local authorities to impose higher premiums where they consider it appropriate.
However, Inverclyde Council officers argue that increasing the charge further would have little impact locally because of the relatively small number of second homes.
They also point out that 69 per cent of Inverclyde’s long-term empty properties are owned by registered social landlords, meaning any increase would largely add costs to the social housing sector.
Officials say the additional income generated for the council would also be relatively modest.
The current premium raises up to £170,000 a year from second homes and around £575,000 from long-term empty properties.
The report says those sums are falling as the number of properties covered by the policy decreases, with homes becoming occupied, being demolished or earmarked for demolition.
Councillors are being asked to leave the policy unchanged but review it annually to take account of changes in housing numbers, legislation and wider council tax reform.
