San Diego: Empty Homes Tax Fails | If You Think It’s Expensive To Hire A Professional; Wait Till You Hire An Amateur!

On June 2, 2026, San Diego voters rejected an annual Empty Homes Tax on non-primary residences left vacant for >182 days in a calendar year.
Had it passed, qualifying residences would have faced an $8K charge in the first year and a $10K charge in later years.
The proposal also targeted empty residences owned by corporate entities, adding annual surcharges ranging from $4K to $5K on those homes if approved.
Even though it failed, the measure stood out for proposing a non-primary-home tax with a simplified implementation structure in San Diego locally.
The failed San Diego proposal may still be watched as a blueprint for similar empty-home tax measures elsewhere, despite voters declining it recently.