Tidö Investigation: Homeowners May Be Forced to Pay Extra Fee for Security

In addition to the many high taxes intended to fund crime prevention and security, homeowners and other property owners may be forced to pay an additional fee for security measures in their areas. This is proposed in a government investigation and is something that the Swedish Association of Homeowners is now questioning.

In January, Minister for Housing Andreas Carlson (KD) received the investigation Fee for Area Cooperation, the proposals of which are receiving strong criticism from the industry. The investigation sees voluntary area cooperation as the most common form of cooperation in the future, but to ensure long-term and predictable financing for cooperation between the public and property owners, a law on fees is proposed.

– More tools are needed to increase security and attractiveness in residential areas and other places, and to contribute to positive development in Sweden. The government has now received the proposals from the investigator, which will soon be sent out for consultation, says Andreas Carlson.

Anna Thureson is a business policy expert at Fastighetsägarna and an expert in the government investigation.

– The proposal means that property owners, together with other property owners, should finance crime prevention measures in an area decided by the municipality. This instead of creating conditions for long-term joint improvement work between the public and other relevant actors in society, she says.

– In practice, the proposal means that there is an opportunity to demand that property companies finance measures to address, for example, high crime, unemployment, and low academic achievement, which are beyond the ability of property owners to influence. It is unreasonable to expect individual property owners to solve these different types of societal problems.

Failed Social Project

Thureson argues that the investigation lacks a clear analysis of the problems that would be solved with mandatory cooperation and that cannot already be addressed with the current voluntary model. She also notes that legislation like the proposed one is neither necessary nor requested.

She is supported by Kenny Fredman, the social policy manager of Bostadsrätterna.

– If the proposals become reality, it means that those living in so-called vulnerable areas risk having to pay an extra tax through this fee. If society, the police, and the authorities have failed in a social project, is it then reasonable for residents to have to pay for it in this way?

Rosengård in Malmö. Photo: Jorchr, CC BY-SA 3.0

Critical Homeowners

The Swedish Association of Homeowners looks favorably on neighborhood cooperation, which is voluntary, but is more skeptical about what would in practice become a new property tax for security measures. This is written by Lena Södersten, legal counsel at the Swedish Association of Homeowners, in an opinion piece.

This is the wrong way to go. The social contract is based on the premise that crime prevention and security in society are the responsibility of the state and, to some extent, the municipalities. Therefore, funding should be through taxation.

According to Södersten, the government and the investigator believe it is unfair that not all property owners in the area participate voluntarily. On the contrary, the Swedish Association of Homeowners argues that it is unfair for those who own a single-family home in an unsafe area to pay both taxes and an extra fee to increase security in the area.

The association predicts that the proposal will face strong criticism and strong opposition from the affected homeowners and asserts that commitment cannot be legislated.

If the investigation’s proposal becomes reality, there is an obvious risk that the neighborhood cooperation that occurs voluntarily and actually works will be broken. That would be unfortunate.

Sweden Democrats’ Comments

The investigation is based on the cooperation between the government and the Sweden Democrats in the Tidö Agreement.

Mikael Eskilandersson is the civil policy spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats:

– We are positive about reviewing how to ensure that unscrupulous property owners can no longer choose to completely opt out and freeload on other property owners who contribute to security while shamelessly exploiting their own properties to make as much money as possible, he tells Samnytt.

Mikael Eskilandersson (SD). Photo: Landstingshuset, CC BY-SA 4.0

– Individual property owners with many rental apartments have unfortunately chosen not to participate in voluntary cooperation, which has resulted in crime and insecurity taking hold in areas, unnecessarily. When they are forced to cooperate, joint efforts can stop criminals and contribute to safer areas for everyone. This means reduced costs for serious property owners compared to current costs when everyone in the area participates and contributes.

Eskilandersson believes that both property owners and the state have a responsibility to contribute to security and argues that property owners are the biggest winners when areas are perceived as safer, as it increases their property values and makes it easier to rent out apartments in the area.

– Housing becomes less of a class issue when more residential areas and properties participate and become safer for everyone living there. The proposed law will thus reduce class differences in the living environment.