Over the past decade, second homes and short-term lets have reshaped housing across coastal, rural, and tourist communities. New powers now let councils charge premiums on these properties, but many are collecting only a fraction of what they are owed.
The Hidden Housing Economy sets out the scale of the shift, what the law now allows in England and Wales, and a practical framework for closing the gap, including:
- The forces behind the rise of second homes and short lets, and the cost to communities
- The new premium powers under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, and how England and Wales differ
- The full premium opportunity beyond second homes, including long-term empty properties
- Why identifying liable properties is the hard part, and where council records fall short
- How Conwy and Bath & North East Somerset Council responded, and what they recovered
- A practical, four-step framework for revenues teams ready to act
