Vacant property discount on Council Tax

adelinegoh1

Hi folks,
I recently had this experience and would need a little sanity check.

I bought a little flat in London Ealing as my main home. It was previously rented out to tenants by the previous owner. Let's say we completed the sale on 1st of September and I move into the property on 6th of September.

Given the new rule from April 2013, Ealing council only gives discount of up to 14 days for a vacant property so I thought that I would be receiving a discount for the vacant period of 5 vacant days however this is not the case.

I was told that I do not quality because the 14 days exemption period has been taken up by the previous owner. I have to pay the full council tax amount even though I didn't stay and I have nothing to do with the previous owner's account. I believe what has happened is that as soon as his tenants have moved out and while waiting for me to complete the sale, he had some days of where property was empty.

What is the basis that councils follow, to consider the exemption period for the vacant property? Is it a one-off 14-days exemption per flat (irregardless of who the new owner is), is it 14-days exemption every year, every rotation of moving in/out/in or what? I asked but the council staff could not explain clearly what constitutes the exemption period except repeating that I don't qualify.

Prior to this, I believe that if a property has a change of owners, your council tax liability will be treated separately (eg. not to worry if previous owner didn't pay up her taxes), so why can't the exemption period be treated separately due to change of hands?

Please can someone shed some light if what the council has told me is correct?

maintenanceman

Errm I suppose you are talking about utilities and council tax fills.
Nope whether tiy live there oe not the council will asck ( note the venacular) to pay up. cos they are greedy.

CIS

Please can someone shed some light if what the council has told me is correct?

They are correct .

Discounts and exemptions regarding unoccupied properties apply to the property and not a specific individual therefore they have to take in to account anything already awarded to the property, even if it was during a period with a different owner.

adelinegoh1

Thanks for that CIS. So based on what you are saying, is this exemption applied only once-off for a flat or is it based on a certain time period criteria?

so even if there is a change of 4 owners, if the first owner has taken that exemption no one else can be eligible down the line?

adelinegoh1

Copied from BBC News..
A million home owners who do not live full time in their property could see their council tax rocket in April, as most automatic discounts are to end.

The change, which will affect second homes and empty properties in England, could see bills for 2013-14 rise by 200%.

Previously, such properties had benefited from a 50% discount.

The new rules give councils more freedom to raise money locally and bring empty homes into use.

CIS

Thanks for that CIS. So based on what you are saying, is this exemption applied only once-off for a flat or is it based on a certain time period criteria?

The reduction is applied for however long the council have decided for their area.

In order to receive the full reduction again (if it has already been claimed) there must be a minimum of 6 weeks of occupancy otherwise you would only be able to claim any residual discount from the earlier period (effectively its classed as one continuous period if there isn't the 6 week gap).