Holiday home owners hit by tax changes announced in this week's Budget said they were being blamed for a shortage of affordable housing.The change affects property developers like Sarah McDermott who previously had tax breaks on expenses such as fittings for her holiday homes in Whitby.Ms McDermott, the founder of Maison Parfaite Holiday Homes, said she thought the chancellor's announcement would "prevent growth and investment".
"The only way to solve the problem is to create zoned areas where you cannot have a holiday home without planning permission, and that basically makes it a lot more exclusive for residents." The 28-year-old first spoke to the BBC in 2021 when he was struggling to get on the housing market, something he said was a problem for his friends.Whitby was the best place in the world to live, he said, and he welcomed tourists but the town needs more affordable housing for its residents.
Dan Craw Wilson, of Generation Rent, said his organisation - which acts for private renters - had been campaigning for a better tax system on holiday homes because people were being priced out of the market.