Should Second-homes be subjected to a Lodging Tax?
"Should second-home rentals be taxed? Some things to consider as the debate intensifies over whether to tax summer rentals:
"Yes, it would level the playing field. Latest numbers show a waning occupancy rate for hotels and motels in the summer, surely a result of competition from summer home rentals.
"But what happens if second-home owners dependent on that income find themselves faced with as much as a 9 percent tax increase? For them, it is seeing their property tax almost double. This on top of rising energy costs, insurance coverage increases and a harder time renting their homes due to an oversupply of rentals. At what point will second-home owners decide to put their home on the market because the economics don’t work – especially since they no longer can expect double-digit price appreciation?
"And if those houses go on the market, what impact will that have on all house prices, including those owned by primary-home owners?
"Will municipalities worried about waning occupancy taxes find that scenario better?
"Now add the fact that second-home owners spend more on average than full-time residents – according to some studies, 1.6 times more. If they bail out in the face of rising overhead costs, what other businesses on the Cape – from furniture stores to restaurants – will suffer?
"The reality is that the tax issue transcends tourism and municipal budgets. It is very much a complex macroeconomic issue with many moving parts. Look at it one-dimensionally and we are sure to suffer unintended consequences."
Labels: Buying Real Estate, Martha's Vineyard Real Estate, Rental Housing, second-home, vacation home
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