Government confirms double council tax for homes left empty for 12 months

News11.03.2411.30 AM by James Riding

Double council tax on long-term empty properties will come into force from 1 April, the government has confirmed.

Exemptions will apply to homes that have been inherited or are undergoing renovation (picture: Alamy)

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Government confirms double council tax for homes left empty for 12 months #UKhousing

Double council tax on long-term empty properties will come into force from 1 April, the government has confirmed #UKhousing

The 100% council tax premium will apply when a home has been empty for 12 months, rather than the current period of two years.

Councils will be given new powers to introduce the tax premium on second homes and spend the money “from the next financial year”, which begins next month.

On Monday 11 March, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) confirmed “a very limited number” of exemptions to the tax rise following a consultation, which it said would “ensure the changes are fair to homeowners”.

Exceptions will apply to empty properties that are uninhabitable due to “extensive renovation”, or second homes that are not available for use year-round due to planning restrictions. An exemption will also apply for up to a year on homes that have been inherited, “to prevent families who are grieving from having to pay”.

DLUHC said the tougher rules would support people in areas where high numbers of empty homes are preventing them from finding affordable housing.

According to the Action on Empty Homes campaign group, there are currently more than 260,000 homes in England that are empty on a long-term basis.

Simon Hoare, minister for local government, said: “Long-term empty properties are shutting local families and young people out of the housing market as they are being denied the opportunity to rent or buy in their own community.”

In February, the government announced plans for a national register of short-term lets and said councils would be given the power to curb lettings in tourist hotspots by making them subject to planning permission.

The Scottish government has proposed allowing councils to charge up to double the full rate of council tax on second homes from April 2024, as well as more than double the full rate for long-term empty homes.