Empty homes tax could be introduced, says minister

An empty property tax could be introduced on the Isle of Man, the new housing minister has said.

Rob Callister, who was appointed to the newly created role in the Council of Ministers on Friday, said he would look at a levy on empty and dilapidated homes "similar to what they have in England".

The Onchan MHK also said he wanted to bring forward a national housing plan within the next 12 months "if not sooner".

He told the BBC he was "under no illusion" that housing was one of the biggest concerns facing the new administration.

Callister said housing was "probably the second, if not third, biggest topic on the doorstep" during the general election, after health and immigration.

He said all 24 members elected to the House of Keys had been calling for the creation of a housing minister role.

Callister said it would bring the work of the Housing and Communities Board to ministerial level and "turn that research into tangible outcomes that people can see".

As well as considering an empty property tax, Callister said he would look at whether houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) - where three or more unrelated people share a property - should be licensed rather than just registered.

"I'm also looking to make brownfield sites more attractive to developers", he said, as well as finding a "long-term solution" to homelessness.

Callister said more and more people were finding themselves with "no fixed abode" and solutions needed to be found "quickly".

The 2021 census recorded that of the 42,915 homes on the island, 5,695 were vacant - about 13%.

"We need to identify why we have a housing crisis," said Callister.

He pointed out that the population "hasn't increased too much over the past 10-15 years".

The 2025 population figure of 84,975 is up about 900 since 2021.

Deaths have outnumbered births every year since 2017, but about 8,000 people moved to or returned to the island between the 2021 census and March 2025.

Government figures show the average house price on the Isle of Man last year was £393,735 - 8.2 times average annual earnings.

Three-quarters of houses sold in 2025 cost more than 10 times the median salary of someone aged 18 to 25.

Callister said buying a first home was "always a struggle".

He said he would review the island's first-time buyer schemes to see whether more could be done to help people save for a deposit.

He also said he wanted to help some social housing tenants become first-time buyers, a move he suggested would free up homes for people on low incomes.

Tynwald has already committed to providing up to 1,000 affordable homes over 10 years, starting from April 2025.

Callister's election manifesto went further, pledging to build 1,500 new homes during the same period.

Chief Minister Chris Thomas said there was "a significant amount of work ahead" for his new housing minister, and said the pair would agree "clear objectives and priorities".

Callister said meeting the target would need support from across government, as well as developers, while making sure "we're not overbuilding, especially in our beautiful countryside".

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