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A vacant home with the lights off and an overgrown lawn sits in between two homes with lights on, children playing, and cars and bikes in the front yard

Vacant Home Tax

There shouldn’t be vacant homes during a housing crisis. People in our community are looking for housing that they can afford, and we’re looking into options to help meet this need.  

In Guelph, we know of about 50 homes that are vacant — 50 homes that could be spaces for Guelph families to rent or own. To address this, Council has approved the development of a vacant home tax.  

The goal of the tax is to encourage owners to live in, rent or sell vacant properties. Any tax revenue will go into the City’s Affordable Housing Reserve Fund. The fund was created in 2002 to help support more affordable housing in Guelph.  

Check out other projects supporting affordable housing on Have Your Say

How can I participate right now?

Our survey closed on March 9, 2026. We're presenting findings and recommendations to Council on June10 at a special council meeting. Visit the council calendar for the Agenda and report to be posted two weeks in advance.

You can still familiarize yourself with what a vacant home tax is and what it’s intended to do by reviewing the information on Guelph.ca.

You can also find out more about this project by reviewing the “In depth project background” section below.

If you have questions or comments to share, reach out to our project team. You can find us in the "Who's listening" section.

Check out the summary of what we heard during our survey.

Do you have questions about the Vacant Home Tax?

Visit the Vacant Home Tax project page on guelph.ca to:

  • Find background on the vacant home tax
  • Review common questions, such as when exemptions may apply and how revenue will be used
  • Learn about next steps

Further reading

Phases

Phases overview
Phase 1: Complete our survey
Complete our survey
Phase 2: Under review and report development
Under review and report development
Phase 3: Vacant Home Tax in Effect
Vacant Home Tax in Effect

Vacant Home Tax in Effect

July 1, 2026 4:00 AM - December 31, 2026 4:59 AM

On June 10, we presented draft policy directions to City Council along with other new bylaws that support housing in Guelph. The Vacant Home Tax was approved by Council June 23, 2026 and is now in full effect. The City has a new online reporting form where residents can report suspected vacant homes. Once a report is submitted, the City will check the property and contact the owner. The City may also use its own records to determine if a home is vacant. The Vacant Home Tax can be applied retroactively as far back as January 1, 2026.

To learn more, view the bylaw or visit guelph.ca/vacanthometax.