Brighton and Hove City Council has decided to double council tax for second homes and empty properties starting from the 2025-26 financial year.

The decision, made at a committee meeting, was enabled by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, which allows councils to double council tax on homes empty for two years. The move aims to encourage owners and landlords to bring these properties back into use, addressing the impact of empty and second homes on housing supply.

The empty homes premium is expected to generate around £500,000 from 461 properties, while second homes could generate about £1.6 million from almost 1,400 properties.