Higher Council Tax Bills on Empty Homes

Communities minister Andrew Stunell has outlined plans that could see councils enforce higher council tax rates on homes that have been empty for more than two years. He said: "We will shortly be consulting on whether councils should be given the power to charge extra council tax on homes in their area that have been empty for more than two years, through an Empty Homes Premium.” He said: "The premium will act as a spur for landlords to bring their properties back into use quickly. And where they don’t, it will provide an extra revenue stream for Local Authorities to plough back into bringing more homes back into use." Read more on the CLG website.