Council tax empty property premium - 2020

From April 2020, we propose to charge extra council tax for properties that have been empty for over two years, unless they qualify for an exemption.  At the moment, 50% extra council tax is paid on such properties. This means that the charge payable is one and a half times the council tax charge for that property.As part of the council’s strategy to bring empty homes back into use, we propose to implement legislation which allows additional premiums to be charged.

These changes are being proposed to support the Council's strategy to bring empty properties back into use. The proposal would mean that from next year [2020/21], council tax would double once a property has been empty for two years. Once a property has been empty for five years, council tax would be three times the normal rate for that property. From 2021/22, council tax would be four times the normal rate once a property had been empty for ten years.

You can read the full report that went to cabinet here.

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