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Empty property charges

Council tax is payable on properties that are empty.  A 100% council tax premium will be charged on properties left empty for two years or longer. This is known as the ‘empty homes premium’.

A full council tax charge applies to all empty properties, including:

  • second homes
  • unoccupied but furnished properties
  • properties undergoing major repair or structural alteration
  • properties that are unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for less than two years.

Properties empty for more than two years

  • If a property is unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for between two and five years, you are liable for a 200 per cent council tax charge per year.
  • If a property has been empty for more than five years, you are liable for a 300 per cent council tax charge per year.
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