SECOND home owners in Purbeck who face higher council tax bills are turning to renting out their properties.

Purbeck District Council chiefs are welcoming the new trend, which they hope will help locals find permanent accommodation in the district.

The rise in second home ownership in Purbeck over recent years has been blamed for eroding rural community life and pushing up property prices.

A government ruling earlier this year made it possible for local authorities to reduce the council tax discounts on second homes from 50 per cent to 10 per cent.

Purbeck council leader Cllr Bill Trite said: "It is good to know that the council's aim of bringing properties back onto the market for purchase or for renting to permanent residents appears to be working."

Purbeck's revenue services manager, Phil McStraw, said: "Some people with second homes are certainly doing lettings now, which perhaps they didn't do previously.

"We do know that is the case," he added.

"However, in the main, we think they are probably keeping below the threshold at which the property would become liable for business rates rather than council tax.

"It is a question of the property being available for holiday letting for 20 or more weeks - and it doesn't have to actually be let for that length of time.

"If someone advertised their property for more than 20 weeks in a year then it would be liable for business rates rather than council tax."

The council stresses that whether or not a property owner is subject to council tax or business rates is decided on a case-by-case basis and that the actual assessment decision is the responsibility of the inland revenue.

First published: September 8