City Council considering mandatory residence

Too many houses in the old á Reyni district of Tórshavn are uninhabited most of the year.

The City Council is now looking at solving this problem by introducing mandatory residence in the district.

At the next council meeting, on Wednesday, the City Council will discuss a proposal from the Town Planning Committee and the Finance Committee to request the legal authority to introduce such a bill.

The problem with uninhabited houses extends beyond the á Reyni district, not least in districts with newbuilds.

The programme for Wednesday’s City Council meeting states that it is time to resume talks about introducing mandatory residence to prevent the number of uninhabited homes from growing out of control. Another point mentioned in the programme is the increasing tendency to buy houses with the sole intent of renting out to tourists.

Mandatory residence could also help shed light on the possibility of introducing a property tax on citizens’ second properties.

The Local Authorities Association has been asked to look at whether mandatory residence could be included in town plan bylaws.

Tórshavn City Council looked at introducing mandatory residence in 2014. This proposal was voted down because it was deemed at the time that municipalities are not authorised to set a requirement for mandatory residence.

But a lot has changed since then, and now the council is readdressing its mandatory residence plans.

Translated by prosa.fo.