Council tax will be doubled on second homes in one area.

Arun District Council are set to double council tax charges on second homes and properties that have been empty for at least a year.

This follows a change in the law as part of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, which means councils can now charge a council tax premium on properties that are not someone's main residence but are substantially furnished.

Though this is a national law change, each council has to agree before the implementation of any changes.

A spokeswoman for Arun District Council said: "We can confirm that if a council intends to implement the policy, it must be agreed formally by full council, giving at least one year’s notice of the change.

"For Arun District Council, this was agreed in March 2024, for implementation in April 2025."

The changes were approved by Arun District Council’s policy and finance committee on March 7 and full council on March 13.

The council will begin to charge the new rate on second homes from April 1 2025.

Councillor Martin Lury, leader of the council, said: “ We hope that increasing these charges will lead to a number of properties being sold or let, which in turn will have a positive impact on housing supply across the district. We will be writing to those affected very soon.”

The act also allows councils to add a supplementary charge to the amount of council tax due on properties which have been left ‘unoccupied or substantially unfurnished’ for at least a year. This was previously two years and came into effect on April 1 this year.

There are some exemptions, such as if a resident has recently died, if a home is being actively marketed for sale or rent or if major repairs are underway.