Issue - meetings

Council Tax Empty Homes Premium

Meeting: 24/01/2019 - Council (Item 53)

53 Council Tax - Empty Homes Premium pdf icon PDF 117 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources concerning the introduction of a Council Tax Empty Homes Premium to be applied to all homes meeting the proposed criteria.

Additional documents:

Minutes:


Meeting: 09/01/2019 - Cabinet (Item 75)

75 Council Tax Empty Homes Premium pdf icon PDF 119 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources seeking a Council Tax Empty Homes Premium to be applied to all homes which meet the criteria at the specified rates.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED it is recommended to Council that a Council Tax Empty Homes Premium of 50% is implemented from 01 April 2019 in respect of properties that have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than two years, increasing to 100% from 01 April 2020. It is further recommended that the empty homes premium be implemented from 01 April 2020 at 200% on properties which have been empty for more than five years and from 01 April 2021 at 300% on properties which have been empty for more than ten years.

 

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources that sought a Council Tax Empty Homes Premium to be applied to all homes which meet the criteria at the specified rates.

 

The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources summarised the key points of the report and emphasised the importance of bringing empty homes back into use.  The Cabinet Member for Environment commented that these measures would work alongside the incentive to private landlords initiative approved by Members at the meeting of 7th November 2018 (Minute 55) which took a different approach to the same goal of alleviating homelessness.  The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Strategy reassured Members that officers would consider the circumstances of each case individually before applying the premium.  The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economy drew attention to the time periods allowed for reoccupation before any premium would be applied and stated that the measures were not intended to raise money but to encourage empty homes to be returned to use.

 

RESOLVED it is recommended to Council that a Council Tax Empty Homes Premium of 50% is implemented from 01 April 2019 in respect of properties that have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than two years, increasing to 100% from 01 April 2020. It is further recommended that the empty homes premium be implemented from 01 April 2020 at 200% on properties which have been empty for more than five years and from 01 April 2021 at 300% on properties which have been empty for more than ten years.