On the surface, “do you live in your home?†might seem like an obvious question but, in reality, not every house and condo in pc28¹ÙÍøis “lived in†and knowing which properties are occupied or not is crucial as the City of pc28¹ÙÍøworks to address the ongoing housing crisis.
That’s why, every year, homeowners are asked to officially declare whether their property is occupied or vacant via the Vacant Home Tax (VHT) program, with the goal of increasing the housing supply in pc28¹ÙÍøby encouraging owners of vacant residential properties to sell them or rent them out. Owners who choose to keep their properties vacant are subject to a tax, with that revenue going towards affordable housing initiatives.
“The Vacant Home Tax program works to increase housing supply in pc28¹ÙÍøby incentivizing homeowners to make their vacant residential properties available to be lived in, either by renting them out or by putting them on the market for sale,†explained Stephen Conforti, the City of Toronto’s chief financial officer & treasurer.
“The program also helps increase the availability and affordability of housing in pc28¹ÙÍøby allocating revenue collected from the Vacant Home Tax toward affordable housing initiatives, including the City’s Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) Program, which supports the acquisition of at-risk, private market rental housing by non-profit housing providers, securing these homes as permanently affordable housing.â€
A house or condo is considered vacant if it’s not the owner’s principal residence or the principal residence of someone they allow to live there, or if it hasn’t been occupied by tenants for more than six months during the calendar year.
Property owners can make a declaration in person by visiting a Tax and Utility counter at pc28¹ÙÍøCity Hall or any civic centre.
City of Toronto
If the property is the owner’s principal residence — where they reside and conduct their daily affairs, receive mail and pay bills — it can remain unoccupied and isn’t considered vacant.
“If it is the owner’s primary residence, it’s not considered vacant, even if they vacation away from home for parts of the year. And if it’s not the owner’s primary residence, it’s not considered vacant as long as they make it available for someone else to live there for at least half a year,†Conforti said.
“Either way, however, owners have to let the City know what the occupancy status of their property is by making an annual declaration.â€
There are some exemptions to the VHT — if the property is undergoing major repairs or renovations or the owner has recently died, among the scenarios.Â
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Conforti said several improvements have been made to the City’s VHT program to make it more user-friendly, including setting up a dedicated Customer Care team and revising the overall process and timelines.
“For homeowners, there is an extended period for them to make a declaration of occupancy status — they have until April 30, 2025 to declare for the 2024 calendar year. Of course, we encourage people not to wait to make their declaration, but rather to do so at their earliest convenience so they don’t forget,†said Conforti.Â
Homeowners are encouraged to declare the occupancy status of their property on the — it’s the quickest and easiest way to make a Vacant Home Tax declaration ahead of the deadline. Homeowners also have the option to declare by phone simply by calling 311, which offers service in 180 languages, or they can visit a Tax and Utility counter at City Hall or one of the civic centres.
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