How much extra council tax do I pay on a long-term empty property in England?

Full answer

English local authorities have the power to charge an escalating empty homes premium on top of the standard council tax bill for properties that have been both unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for an extended period, specifically designed to encourage owners to bring long-term empty homes back into use given the pressure on housing supply in many areas. Once a property has been empty and unfurnished for at least one year, a council can apply a 100% premium, effectively doubling the standard council tax bill for that property, and the premium then increases in defined stages the longer the property remains empty: rising to 200% (tripling the total bill) once the property has been empty for five years or more, and reaching the maximum 300% premium (quadrupling the total bill compared with a normally occupied home) once the property has been empty for ten years or more. Each individual council decides for itself whether to apply these premiums at all, and if so, at what specific rate within the legal maximum for each empty-duration band, so the exact policy can differ between neighbouring local authorities. Certain categories of property are generally exempt from the empty homes premium regardless of how long they have been empty, such as properties that are difficult to sell or let due to specific circumstances like being actively marketed for sale following a probate, or homes undergoing structural repair or renovation within a reasonable timeframe, though the specific exemption criteria and how long any exemption lasts before the premium begins to apply can vary by council, so owners of a long-term empty property should contact their specific local authority directly.

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