Housing

New vacant homes tax will triple local property charges on empty houses

Government says new budget measure will help ‘ensure all viable housing stock is made available for use’ but an opposition politician has called it ‘too weak to be effective’

Vacant homes: the tax will apply from next year to residential properties that are occupied for fewer than 30 days in a 12-month period. Picture: Getty

A tax on vacant homes, equal to three-times the current local property tax, has been introduced as part of Budget 2023.

In recent years, the Business Post has revealed widespread instances of residential vacancy across Dublin and other Irish cities.

Last year, a report by the Residential Tenancies Board said large landlords controlling thousands of homes in Ireland had the financial clout to leave them empty rather than reduce rents, and believe it is “prudent” ...