Vancouver Again Raises its Empty Homes Tax

The Vancouver Empty Homes Tax will soon be three times as high as it was when adopted in 2017.

1 minute read

November 29, 2020, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Vancouver Skyline Bikes

markyeg / Flickr

"The empty homes tax in Vancouver will more than double next year," reports Alyse Kotyk. "Council voted in favour of increasing the tax from 1.25 per cent to three per cent for 2021."

The city adopted the tax in 2017 to control the cost of housing in the expensive city (along with a foreign buyer tax) by removing incentives for speculation, starting the tax originally at 1 percent, according to Kotyk.

Another article by Eric Zimmer details the results of the Empty Homes Tax on several key housing market metrics: "According to the city, there has been a 25% reduction in the number of vacant properties recorded between 2017 and 2019. Of the 1,989 properties declared vacant in 2018, 41% were converted to occupied status last year."

The Empty Homes Tax has also raised revenue for new affordable housing projects totaling $61.3 million, along with another $25 million for the 2019-2022 Community Housing Incentive Program, "which provides grants to non-profit housing operators to improve the affordability of social housing and co-op housing projects," according to Zimmer.

Another article by CBC News cites analysis by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation that credits the tax with pushing 5,000condominiums to the rental market in 2019, including 3,000 units in Downtown Vancouver alone.

Wednesday, November 25, 2020 in CTV News Vancouver

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today