Could a vacancy tax solve Australia's housing crisis? Canada might have the answer
www.abc.net.au
In 2018, Canada's British Columbia introduced a tax against vacant homes. Three years later, more than 20,000 rentals were back on the market.

My first instinct is “yes” but then I thought about it and I think it’s just going to exacerbate the short-stay problem unless combined with other measures.

  • tochee
    5·
    11 months ago

    Yep. Can’t dodge it, encourages productive use. The only thing is it might push more properties towards airbnb unless you tax that more to make it less profitable.

    • w2qw
      21·
      11 months ago

      Outside of holiday towns I don’t think AirBNB is actually an issue it’s such a small percentage of properties that it’s really just marginal. Arguably they get a small subsidy for paying residential rates but most the time it’s an apartment that gets the minimum rate so effectively a hotel is paying less.

      In holiday towns it’s similar but arguably they cause more dramatic spikes in rent but overall it should be similar. Tourists are also generating a lot of revenue and jobs so would you rather low rent but no jobs or higher rent but a competitive job market?