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If you have an empty and unfurnished property, a second home that is furnished or an uninhabitable property, you still need to pay Council Tax for it.
From the 1 April 2025, for properties empty and unfurnished for more than one year, an extra amount of Council Tax (known as a long-term empty premium) is charged, in addition to the yearly charge.
Empty duration | Premium amount added to charge | Total amount payable |
---|---|---|
Less than 1 year | nil | 100% |
Between 1 and 5 years | 100% | 200% |
Between 5 and 10 years | 200% | 300% |
Over 10 years | 300% | 400% |
As the premium applies to the property, a change of owner or tenancy will not change the premium. For example, if when you purchased or leased your property and it had already been empty and unfurnished for one year or more, you will have to pay the premium.
The premium can only be removed by bringing the property back into use however there are two types of property that are not affected by the premium. They are:
From the 1 April 2025 some exceptions apply to the long-term empty premium:
If you wish to claim an exception, you will need to contact us and provide relevant proof, such as evidence from estate or letting agents.
You will remain liable to pay the premium as billed pending any claim for the exception being granted.
A second home is a residential property which is unoccupied and furnished.
From the 1 April 2026, we will introduce an additional premium on second homes. This means that a further 100% premium will be added to the normal council tax charge.
If a property is in severe disrepair or derelict or is undergoing major structural alterations that make it impossible to live in any part of it, the council tax band may be deleted.
For more information contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA)