[News Terms] Proposed 'Vacant House Tax' for Managing Empty Homes in Nong-eochon Areas

'Vacant house tax' is a tax imposed on homeowners who leave their houses empty and neglected. It has already been introduced in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and Japan is also in the process of implementing it.

In the United States, each state government regularly charges a vacant house registration fee to encourage owners to manage their vacant properties. In the United Kingdom, a vacant house tax (a local tax surcharge) is imposed on owners of vacant houses, while owners who repair or renovate vacant houses receive reduced taxes and support for maintenance budgets. In Canada, since January last year, a vacant house tax of 1% of the assessed property value is levied on houses owned by foreign non-resident individuals who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, if the houses are left empty without occupants or have low utilization.

Abandoned empty house.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

Kyoto City in Japan, with the approval of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, plans to collect a vacant house tax starting as early as 2026 on about 15,000 properties including houses and apartments left vacant for more than six months annually, as well as vacation homes that are not used regularly, based on the 'Vacant House Tax Ordinance' passed in March last year.

Kyoto City expects that by increasing taxes on neglected vacant houses and encouraging reconstruction, owners will actively rent or sell their properties to avoid high taxes, thereby revitalizing the housing market. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, approximately 3.49 million vacant houses are estimated to be long-term neglected, and support measures for their reuse and demolition are also being promoted.

On the 12th, Park Jeong-hyun, the governor of Buyeo County in Chungnam Province, proposed the establishment of a vacant house tax to the government. At the 5th Chungnam Mayors and Governors Council meeting of the 8th local government term held at Cheonan City Hall that day, Governor Park stated, "The government needs to establish and impose a vacant house tax to manage vacant houses that damage the rural landscape and deteriorate the living environment of nearby houses." Governor Park explained the necessity of introducing the vacant house tax by saying, "Buyeo County demolishes about 70 vacant houses annually through partial amendments to the Rural Maintenance Act in 2020, but it is insufficient to manage the rapidly increasing rural vacant houses caused by population decline with local administrative power alone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.