'Changes to the law' - New council tax charges in Adur and Worthing explained

This year’s council tax charges on second homes in Adur and Worthing will be ‘double that’ of similar local properties that are ‘lived in all year round’, the council have revealed.

"This follows changes to the law introduced by the government and adopted by most councils across England,” an Adur and Worthing Councils spokesperson said.

"We've increased the charge to try to help tackle the housing crisis in Adur and Worthing.

"We hope it will encourage property owners to either sell or let their homes if they’re not using them regularly, helping to provide more housing options for local residents.”

The council tax due on properties that have been empty for at least a year will also be ‘double what it previously was for their owners’, the councils said.

They added: “There are some exemptions, such as if residents have recently died, if homes are being actively marketed for sale or rent, or if major repairs are underway.

“There are more than 1,000 households on Adur’s social housing list, with over 2,050 on Worthing’s list.

"This is on top of other local residents who may be living with family and friends because of a shortage of affordable properties to rent or buy in the area.”

The councils said they are ‘doing all we can’ to make more ‘genuinely affordable’ properties available for members of the local community to live in.

This includes ‘building more homes ourselves’ and ‘ensuring developers’ create flats and houses that ‘local residents can afford’.