Monmouthshire County Council has become the latest local authority in Wales to clamp down on second homes.
Councillors have voted to introduce a 100% council tax premium for properties left empty for one year, rising to 300% for homes left vacant for three years or more.
It comes after years of complaints that increased empty and second homes are forcing young people out of their home areas and leading to too much tourism.
Most councils in Wales have now introduced higher council tax rates for owners of empty or second homes.
Cardiff voted last week to increase the council tax premium on long term empty homes from 50% to 100%, while a new 100% charge will be applied to second homes and furnished properties which are not a main home.
Rachel Garrick, Monmouthshire’s Labour cabinet member responsible for finance, said the new charges were not intended to raise extra funds from the properties already subject to the full council tax.
‘That’s not the main driving part of this. It is to look to free-up housing in local areas to address housing shortages,’ she said.
‘We have a housing crisis, we have significant cost pressures on housing, we have too many people sat in bed and breakfasts across this county.’
