Heavier Tax On Second Homes - Tories are now as keen as Labour

A poll of Conservative voters shows strong majorities for higher taxes on second homes and empty properties, and tougher demands on developers to build affordable homes.

The survey is by polling company YouGov and The Guardian newspaper.

Some 68 per cent of those questioned wanted higher taxes on holiday lets and second homes, with a similar number wanting more tax on owners of empty homes too. And two-thirds of Tories in the UK want new-build developments to include more affordable homes.

But it was the rental sector that brought, arguably, the most surprising results.

A large minority of Conservative voters – 39 per cent – go much further than the government and want private renters to be given indefinite tenancies which can only be ended when a tenant wants to move or in cases of criminal damage or severe rent arrears. 

This appears to be even more pro-tenant than last week’s Levelling Up White Paper which insists landlords ensure their private rental properties meet the Decent Homes Standard - originally designed for social housing - and which also plans to end Section 21 repossessions, consult on a national register of landlords and develop plans to better tackle rogue landlords.

“There is support among both Labour and Conservative voters for almost all the policies we asked about” a spokesperson for YouGov told The Guardian. 

“While Labour voters tend to be more strongly in favour of these policies, foreign investment in the UK house market is more unpopular with Conservatives – 56 per cent of Tory voters would support an end to non-domiciled property ownership, compared with 45 per cent of Labour voters.”