prompting businesses and homeowners to complain about the higher council tax levied by the Welsh government.
The goal of many Welsh councils’ inflated tax rates on second houses, which can reach 300%, is to generate revenue and free up little used housing stock for residents.
According to data, there were 135 second houses listed for sale in the county this July—a 255% increase over the 38 that were available at the same time previous year.
In spite of the surge in listings, real sales are at an all-time low.
According to real estate agent Hamptons, sales of second homes made up just 4.5% of Pembrokeshire sales in the first half of 2024, down from 21% a decade earlier.
According to local real estate agents, many homes are being listed under a loophole to avoid the higher tax, and the properties that are coming up for sale are too pricey for first-time buyers.
The new policy wasn’t working, according to Rhys Jordan of Nested Estate Agent Pembrokeshire, who spoke with News.
To put it bluntly, salaries are low in Pembrokeshire. According to him, anything within first-time buyers’ budgets must be under £250,000.
He continued, “All they’ve done is put an excess of unsuitable properties on the market.”
