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Housing: Angers wants to tax owners of vacant housing
Housing: Angers wants to tax owners of vacant housing
(France Info)
In Angers, in Maine-et-Loire, 4,000 homes are said to be vacant. The town hall plans to tax owners to encourage them to rent them out.
For several years, it has been difficult to find accommodation in Angers (Maine-et-Loire). The idea of taxing vacant accommodation appeals, especially to students who encounter difficulties each time they return to school. For an owner, this would represent an additional tax. According to the tax service, 4,000 homes are vacant in Angers. The town hall is considering a housing tax on properties that have been unoccupied for two years to encourage owners to rent them out.
A bad idea according to a homeowners association
“They would be better off serving someone who needs housing than not serving at all,” assures Jean-Marc Verchère, MoDem mayor of Angers. The tax would amount to 17% of the rental value. For a homeowners association, they rarely leave their homes vacant out of convenience. Thus, a property is unoccupied due to energy renovation work. Not all owners would be willing to do work and this tax could encourage them to sell, according to a real estate agent.
