#hillingdon

#hillingdon

A west London council is poised to hit second-home owners with a major tax hike as it looks for new ways to plug growing budget gaps. This will effectively double the bill for owners who keep properties empty. For Band D homes, owners must pay 1,952.38 a year in council tax. Around 750 second homes are registered in Hillingdon and are likely to be affected by the changes unless they have a valid exemption.

"We are now in discussions with our lawyers, my expectation is that we will have to consider a formal legal challenge to the decision made by the Home Office."