Just under two-thirds of property owners who have a second home in Swansea paid a new 100% council tax premium, figures have shown. Council officers identified 1,808 properties in the county for the new charge, which doubled council tax for owners and came into effect on April 1 last year.
In a response to a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council said the premium was paid on 1,181 second homes in 2021-22. This brought £3,733,139 in revenue, which comprises the normal council tax plus the extra 100%.
There were 453 second home owners who were entitled to statutory exemptions such as being registered as a business and therefore subject to business rates. That leaves 174 outstanding payments, which the council said it would seek to recover.
