Council tax on empty property

Kim.wigley

Clearly I've been lucky with my house. We left an empty house, for sale, for 6 months with no council tax due. Now the 6 months are up, we have a 50% reduction. When we bought the house, it was deemed to need serious repairs (new kitchen, windows, rewire, new bathroom, flooring throughout) and so we had 12 months council tax exemption. I'm even more pleased now I have never complained about my council tax!!

charlotte_rose

At the same time, local authorities are notorious for having empty homes.

lisyloo

Why is it empty?


I presume it doesn't come under any exemption?
I'm selling a flat for my MIL who is permanently in a nursing home.
Although her flat is empty she's exempt from paying.

hazyjo

Are you paying council tax elsewhere?

AnotherJoe

lisyloo wrote: »

Why is it empty?

I presume it doesn't come under any exemption?
I'm selling a flat for my MIL who is permanently in a nursing home.
Although her flat is empty she's exempt from paying.

I'm doing similar except my mums pushing up the daisies. Had a 6 month exception now thats come to an end. Trouble is its not really a matter of price, its a matter of the supply of elderly looking to move into the area (its an over 55 with warden place) , and them being able to sell their place, we have had offers but all from non proceedable buyers. Its always taken around a year for flats in my mums block to sell.


And getting back on subject, if there was an exemption then there would be no pressure to sell/fill empty houses and we'd have an even worse housing situation than we have now. UXB said something like empty houses are cheaper because theres no resident to need services, but each empty house contributes to pressure on the council to pay for housing for a family that directly or indirectly would otherwise have somewhere to live (and would be paying council tax)

CIS

lisyloo wrote: »

Why is it empty?


I presume it doesn't come under any exemption?
I'm selling a flat for my MIL who is permanently in a nursing home.
Although her flat is empty she's exempt from paying.

That's because it falls under a specific exemption (Class E) due to the reason it's empty.

Crashy_Time

AdrianC wrote: »

It's almost like your council are trying to encourage owners of properties to let them out or sell them rather than leave them empty.

Anybody'd think there was a shortage of properties...


If the difference starts to become a big issue, then the house isn't selling quickly enough - which means it's overpriced.

There isn`t though, this is partly political, to appease the priced out renters who have massive voting power now, and of course a need for revenue as well. Property, especially empty, is a very easy and popular tax target.

AdrianC

Sorry, can you just clarify... You're saying there isn't a shortage of property?

lisyloo

CIS wrote: »

That's because it falls under a specific exemption (Class E) due to the reason it's empty.

Yes I know that (I had to quote it to the council).
That's why I was asking the reason as it's possible there may be an exemption (probably the OP has already checked this out, but worth noting).

Crashy_Time

AdrianC wrote: »

Sorry, can you just clarify... You're saying there isn't a shortage of property?

Never believed it no, there is definitely a shortage of affordable property, but any shortage of property argument will get more difficult to make as Brexit etc. progresses IMO.


https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-blamed-eu-workers-uk-13582804