25
Sep
Empty property owners 'should not be subsidised by the taxpayer'
Team Association customers might be interested
to read that one property expert has claimed that taxpayers should
not "subsidise" empty property owners.
David Ireland, chief executive at the Empty Homes Agency, said that
six to 12 months' tax relief should be placed on an empty property
to allow the owner to make it hospitable.
His comments follow the remarks of Northern Ireland finance
minister Sammy Wilson, who announced that plans to place rates on
empty properties in the county have been delayed until April 2011
because of the state of the housing market.
"The best thing to do if you are going to have taxation on an empty
property is to bring it back into use and then you have got an
occupant there bringing in rent," stated Mr Ireland.
He added that the problem with having many empty homes in one
location stems from the "eroding confidence" when one property
becomes vacant in an area and no action is taken.
