The Director of Resources submitted a report asking the Committee to consider a recommended increase in the Council Tax premium charged on long term empty properties, following the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018 which allowed Local Authorities to increase the Premium.

The report noted that the Council currently charged long term empty dwellings at the previous maximum rate of an additional 50% after having been empty for two years.  The new regulations allowed local discretion to increase the Premium charge up to 300% in stages, with exemptions that included premises owned by members of the armed forces, annexes, and properties that were genuinely on the market for sale or let.  The report proposed implementing the permitted increases in premium, which would help increase the volume of local housing stock by incentivising owners of registered long term empty homes to take steps to bring those homes back into use.  There were currently 115 properties which had been unoccupied and unfurnished for more than two years and were already subject to a Premium.

Resolved –

That the premium on long term empty properties be increased as follows:

·         100% premium from 1 April 2019 for those properties empty for 2 years and over;

·         200% premium from 1 April 2020 for those properties empty for 5 years and over;

·         300% premium from 1 April 2021 for those properties empty for 10 years and over.