Hundreds turned up to take part in a rally highlighting the housing 'crisis' in Wales. According to Welsh language pressure group, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, over 1,500 people took part in the Nid yw Cymru ar Werth (Wales is Not For Sale) rally in the historic Gwynedd town of Caernarfon on Monday.
The aim of the rally was to send a message to the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, and demand a Property Act which would regulate the property market. From April this year, a change in Welsh Government legislation means that all county councils in Wales are permitted to hike council tax premiums by up to 300% in a bid to tackle the increasing number of second homes and holiday lets in Wales. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
The government have also changed the rules on holiday lets, meaning that since April, holiday homes that have been let out for more than 70 days a year and previously available to be let out for more than 140, will now have to be let out for more than 182 days and be available for let for upwards of 252 days in order to pay business rates instead of council tax.
