4 ms·

What happens when a property is unoccupied?

• reedf1 6y ago
  If it is unfurnished and no one is living in the property then no council tax is paid.
  • clort 6y ago
    This is not necessarily true. In many parts of the country, you get a month free but otherwise the tax would need to be paid, which I guess is to cover landlords who are between tenants. (saves some effort setting it all up and tearing it down again when it was only empty for a week or so). Also, you may not be able to claim that month if it has been claimed in the last year.
  • pmyteh 6y ago
    It's actually up to the local council[0]. Oxford at least give you a month zero-rated, then start charging again (I'm in this position due to a messy move). [0]: https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-proper...
    • rory 6y ago
      Oh wow: > You may pay less Council Tax for a property you own or rent that’s not your main home. > Councils can give furnished second homes or holiday homes a discount of up to 50%. Contact your council to find out if you can get a discount - it’s up to them how much you can get. I'm sympathetic to the messy-move case, but discounting the tax for holiday homes seems quite regressive.
      • pmyteh 6y ago
        I agree, FWIW. The case when a property is uninhabitable because it's being rebuilt seems fair. Getting a discount just for leaving something empty (or using it once a month) does seem regressive. Fortunately(?), councils are basically all skirting bankruptcy, as a result of having their central grants slashed. So these discretionary discounts are becoming rare in actual practice.
  • deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]