Owners keep thousands of San Diego homes vacant despite high rents. They could soon be taxed

LATimes ^ | 04/08/2026

[devane617]

San Diego is one of the nation’s hottest housing markets, with average home prices hovering around $1 million and rents for a one-bedroom apartment topping $2,000 a month.

Yet city officials estimate that more than 5,000 properties sit empty most of the year, which some advocates argue worsens the city’s housing shortage and affordability crisis.

So California’s second-largest city is set to take dramatic action.

In a few weeks, San Diego voters will decide whether to become the latest California municipality to tax vacant homes

[devane617]

How can they tell an owner what to do with their home?

[stevio]

Hahahaha. You think California enjoys capitalism?

[hal ogen]

In Cali the pols/govt tells people a lot of what they can do. Apparently, the residents there are serfs and docile.

Who cares? It is good for a laugh.

[Fireone]

Leftists have focus groups just concentrating on ideas for new tax revenue. It’s their full-time job.
Cutting spending is beyond their vision, so, more new taxes are the solution to everything.
California just leads the way, there are plenty of states watching and learing.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Newscum and his wife are started to act like Kings all of a sudden.

[Retain Mike]

It is CA, so I guess you can pass any law the elected politicians want. I do wonder why so many people would not want to rent or sell their properties?

[LouAvul]

Link is behind a paywall. But, the question is, why are owners not renting the properties?

[marron]

Figure out why people don’t want to rent out their empty houses for $2000 a month plus, and the problem solves itself.

[Palio di Siena]

I’m guessing- but maybe the landlord/tenant laws are so restrictive that it’s
impossible to force a non paying tenant out?

[hanamizu]

“...the latest California municipality to tax vacant homes”

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The vacant homes are already taxed, of course. They want to tax vacant homes extra, and since the people voting for the measure won’t have to pay the tax, the measure will likely pass.

[BenLurkin]

Out of control government is out of control.

[devane617]

I have two homes. We spend time in both...same clothes, appliances, pantry, etc. etc. I would never rent either house.

[Pontiac]

In my little town there are several homes and commercial buildings owned by a former resident that sit vacant and are falling in to disrepair. She does no maintenance on the property, the properties have been entered by young kids in the town who have stolen things from the buildings. She also buys up property that comes on the market and then does nothing with these properties.

The dilapidated buildings bring down property values and discourage people from moving here.

I can not fathom her purpose for doing this. But she has been doing it for years.

This is a small town and it can not afford the lawyers that it would take to put a stop to this behavior but I wish it would.

[packrat35]

Sounds like Communism to me...

[PeterPrinciple]

San Diego voters will decide

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place your bets

[PeterPrinciple]

I can not fathom her purpose for doing this. But she has been doing it for years.

This is a small town and it can not afford the lawyers that it would take to put a stop to this behavior but I wish it would.

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has anyone gone and talked with her? You need more information to negotiate. Send Trump?

[LouAvul]

I assumed the properties in question were rental units that the owners had taken off the market for some reason. But after reading your post I reread the article. Yes, the properties likely are as you describe.

Odd that San Diego would make such a threat. I lived in kali back in the day and SD was pretty conservative-ish.

[albie]

That really could be the only reason. Can’t pay the rent? No problem. Then they squat and destroy the home.

[SuperLuminal]

"Out of control government is out of control."

Tyrannical government is absolutely in control.

You get what you voted for...
It is only going to get even worse...
Good... The CA serfs deserve what they are getting...

[FreedomForce]

if you have a reader function on your browser, you can sometimes get past pay walls. The article didn’t really go much into the reasons but did mention vacation homes and “that properties can be vacant for a variety of reasons, including during renovations or transitions.”