title: Housing layout: policy
Residential properties that have been empty for more than 12 months will automatically attract a 100% increase in council tax.
A landlord of a property that has been unnocuppied for 12 months or more can, once the property has been occupied for 12 months or more, claim a 6 month rebate on the council tax paid before the property was occupied.
Government-backed lending schemes will be offered to landlords with unnoccupied residential properties that require refurbishment or repair in order to get them back into use.
Your contribution doesn't have to be huge; we need starting points before we get into all the detail.
title: Housing layout: policy
Residential properties that have been empty for more than 12 months will automatically attract a 100% increase in council tax.
A landlord of a property that has been unnocuppied for 12 months or more can, once the property has been occupied for 12 months or more, claim a 6 month rebate on the council tax paid before the property was occupied.
Government-backed lending schemes will be offered to landlords with unnoccupied residential properties that require refurbishment or repair in order to get them back into use.
We will investigate the benefits and feasibility of rent stabilisation through limiting rent increases. It is hoped this will ensure affordable rents in places where property prices are pricing people out of the area.
Your contribution doesn't have to be huge; we need starting points before we get into all the detail.
@PaulJRobinson - about 10 years ago
Price controls are a really difficult one. They sound so appealing with energy prices soaring, and housing costs being so high. But rent control and energy price freezes don't work. If they did we'd also have sportscar price controls, and luxury sail boat price fixing so that everyone can enjoy the millionaire lifestyle. Problem is that manufacturer's/retailers/landlords won't bother investing in new products/technologies/power stations if they can't sell it at a profit.
with kind regards, Paul Robinson
about.me/pauljrobinson
On 1 February 2014 20:45, philipjohn [email protected] wrote:
You can merge this Pull Request by running
git pull https://github.com/philipjohn/manifesto housing
Or view, comment on, or merge it at:
https://github.com/openpolitics/manifesto/pull/92 Commit Summary - Housing - Adding rent stabilisation
File Changes - A housing.mdhttps://github.com/openpolitics/manifesto/pull/92/files#diff-0(17) - M index.mdhttps://github.com/openpolitics/manifesto/pull/92/files#diff-1(1)
Patch Links: - https://github.com/openpolitics/manifesto/pull/92.patch - https://github.com/openpolitics/manifesto/pull/92.diff
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/openpolitics/manifesto/pull/92 .
@philipjohn - about 10 years ago
With this one, btw, I was going for "housing as essential infrastructure" given the impact property has on the overall economy. I agree the price control stuff is tricky, which is why I went down the "investigate" line with that particular bit.
I agree with the problems that this is meant to deal with, but aren't rental prices soaring a symptom of a lack of council properties? Should that be the fix, bringing back greater council property ownership in some way, perhaps through an NIO?
The empty property stuff seems reasonable enough.
@philipjohn - about 10 years ago
Rental income needs to match mortgage payments in many cases so intervening on rental prices could help force house prices down. That's the idea anyway.
Just noticed this on Germany: http://www.forbes.com/sites/eamonnfingleton/2014/02/02/in-worlds-best-run-economy-home-prices-just-keep-falling-because-thats-what-home-prices-are-supposed-to-do/
The interesting bit I find is this: "The German system moreover is deliberately structured to encourage renting rather than owning. Tenants enjoy strong rights and, provided they pay their rent, are virtually immune from eviction and even from significant rent increases."
The ridiculously high house prices we have are, IMO, caused by the nonsense societal expectation to get on the property ladder. If I get time I'll share with you my, very specific, analysis of renting being cheaper than buying.
I wonder if the research and campaigns done by Shelter would be useful here? Maybe a good idea to link them at appropriate points, perhaps.
@timcowlishaw - about 10 years ago
Broad support from me on this, I've a fairly strong prior in favour of rent controls, but would like to look at more of the evidence on this before giving a thumbs up on it as policy. Happy to contribute to the research and policy drafting here too if needed, as housing is a particular hobby-horse of mine.
A couple more interesting resources: The full text of Raquel Rolnik's report on UK housing for the UN General assembly (The "Marxist diatribe") (MS Word doc link) Civitas report on overseas investment in the UK housing market (PDF link)
Also, Danny Dorling's got a possibly very relevant book out in the next few weeks!
title: Housing layout: policy
Residential properties that have been empty for more than 12 months will automatically attract a 100% increase in council tax.
A landlord of a property that has been unnocuppied for 12 months or more can, once the property has been occupied for 12 months or more, claim a 6 month rebate on the council tax paid before the property was occupied.
Government-backed lending schemes will be offered to landlords with unnoccupied residential properties that require refurbishment or repair in order to get them back into use.
With fewer people able to afford to buy, many are renting. We will carry out a public review, taking evidence from all relevant parties, into the private rented housing sector to look at; * landlord accountability * fairness in tenancy agreements * the effect of the rental sector on house prices * agency fees, their necessity and fairness
Your contribution doesn't have to be huge; we need starting points before we get into all the detail.
@philipjohn - about 10 years ago
Having looked into the rental issue a bit more I'm thinking there's a lot about the private rental sector that ought to be looked at. So I've replaced my initial proposal with a suggestion for a broader look at the whole sector, it's problems and possible solutions.
@PaulJRobinson - about 10 years ago
Good amendment 👍 although I'm coming round to the idea that a fairly simple (albeit drastic) solution may work. Given that housing is generally in such short supply, shouldn't it be rationed somehow? Food was rationed in the UK until the early 1950s I think, because it is essential and was still in such short supply. What if each individual could only own one property (declared as their main residence) and one additional property for use as a holiday home/bit of rental income if they can afford it. It would at the very least restrict demand in the buy-to-let market (no-one gets to own a multi-property portfolio) which would reduce prices, meaning a more affordable housing market for everyone else.
The OpenPolitics Manifesto
@philipjohn - about 10 years ago