BBCThe variety of second houses on the market in a Welsh county has trebled since council tax elevated by 200%.
There have been 135 Pembrokeshire second houses available on the market in July, in comparison with 38 the earlier yr, newest figures point out.
An property agent mentioned homes have been occurring to the market on the highest fee this century, and it was damaging the tourism business.
Nevertheless, campaigners pointed to the seaside city of Newport, the place 30% of properties are second houses, and known as for a authorized act to offer locals the best to purchase.
New guidelines have been introduced by the Welsh government with the purpose of creating it simpler for folks to afford houses within the space the place they grew up.
To assist obtain this, powers got to native authorities to cost a premium of as much as 300% on prime of the traditional council tax fee for many who personal a second house in Wales.
It has change into a thorny concern, particularly in coastal areas and wonder spots alongside the west coast.
Cyngor Gwynedd has lengthy been accused of “playing Russian roulette” by vacation house house owners and tourism boards after it imposed a 150% premium on council tax for these properties.
Earlier this yr, it went a step additional and introduced plans for any new second houses to be subject to planning consent, with these guidelines coming into power on 1 September.
It argued that the world confronted a “enormous housing disaster”, with many younger folks backing the transfer, saying rich second house house owners have been pricing them out of the market.
Different councils to cost a premium embody Anglesey and Conwy, the place the additional fee is 100%.
This is identical as Ceredigion – nevertheless, it should rise to 150% on this space in 2025.
In Carmarthenshire, second house house owners pay 50% extra.
However Pembrokeshire went additional than all of them – introducing the 200% council tax premium in April – tripling payments.
House owners can keep away from paying the premium for as much as a yr by placing their houses up on the market.
The variety of second houses on sale within the county as of 1 July was up by 97 in 12 months – a rise of 255%.
Council figures present there are actually 3,271 properties registered as second houses, down from 3,364 in 2023.
These listed as self catering vacation models have additionally dropped from 2,621 to 2,425.
Hedd Ladd Lewis, a campaigner for housing market reform, mentioned the rise within the variety of second houses on sale was “encouraging”, however questioned whether or not native folks may afford them.
“What we’ve is an open market and native individuals who earn wages – on common round £28,000 a yr – will be unable to compete [for houses],” he mentioned.
He lives in Newport, the place 30% of the properties are second houses or vacation lets.
“There’s a enormous injustice with regards to the housing market and we have to see some kind of property act which can be certain that the local people has a authorized proper to a home,” he added.
However Neil Evans, the proprietor of West Wales Properties property brokers, mentioned the council tax premium has had a “enormous influence”, particularly in locations equivalent to St Davids and Newport.
“We’re seeing properties come available on the market at such a quantity that I’ve by no means seen in 30 years,” he added.
“[Second home owners] should buy a property on the opposite aspect of the Severn Bridge and have none of this.
“I believe what we’re discovering typically is that it’s affected the vacation commerce as properly.”
Aled Thomas, a neighborhood Conservative councillor who opposes the premium, mentioned: “Tourism is likely one of the issues that brings cash into the economic system, however individuals are going out of enterprise due to these insurance policies.
“What we have to do is to construct extra homes.
“Solely round 20 to 30 homes have been constructed by the council within the final 30 years and that’s disgraceful.”
