In a bid to keep properties from sitting empty when they could be housing people, the City of Ottawa is set to begin taxing vacant residential units next year. Vancouver has a vacant homes tax, and Toronto and Mississauga are looking at the idea after Ontario gave its municipalities that power in 2017. Staff project #ottcity would bring in net $25.9M over first six years of a residential vacant unit tax. "The city must not penalize small landlords who are making the difficult decision to leave their units vacant," Miller said. City staff are proposing an additional tax of one per cent on home left vacant for more than half the year, or the equivalent of a typical property tax bill.

Source: CBC News June 01, 2021 19:30 UTC