In this section:

  1. Empty property Empty property
  2. The former home of someone who has died The former home of someone who has died
  3. Property where the only occupiers are under the age of 18 Property where the only occupiers are under the age of 18
  4. Annexes Annexes
  5. Properties owned by charities Properties owned by charities
  6. Other properties Other properties

Empty property

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If you own a property that is empty you may be entitled to a council tax reduction. This will depend on how long your property has been empty and what is happening to it.

Apply for a council tax discount

Class D discount - dwellings requiring or undergoing major repairs or structural alteration

A 25% discount is applicable for 12 months, provided the property remains vacant and:

  • it requires or is undergoing major repair work to make it habitable,
  • it is undergoing structural alteration, or
  • it has undergone major repair works to make it habitable or undergone structural alteration, and less than six months have elapsed after the work was substantially completed

Class B discount - second home

The full charge for council tax will be payable on all furnished properties that are not an individual’s sole or main residence and they are not restricted by a planning condition from inhabiting them.

Class C discount - dwellings which become vacant

Providing a dwelling remains unoccupied and substantially unfurnished, it will receive a 100% discount for one month. This will be from the date that the furniture is removed.

If a dwelling that is entitled to this discount becomes occupied or substantially furnished again, for a period of less than six weeks during this month, after which it falls empty again, it will only continue to receive the discount for any part of that remaining month.

For any property that remains empty long term, i.e. two years and over, a significant premium will now be payable on top of the normal council tax charged to owners of homes in these categories. See below:-

  • A home, which has been empty for 2 years and over attracts a 100% premium from 1 April 2019, doubling the council tax payable.
  • If it remains empty for 5 years or more, a 200% premium will be payable from 1 April 2020, tripling the council tax payable.
  • Those homes kept empty for 10 years and over, will from 1 April 2021, attract a 300% premium, which quadruples the council tax payable.

If you have a property that you or a tenant is about to vacate, we require you to do the following:-

  • if you tell us that your property is empty we will arrange for one of our inspectors to visit it and check. After that he or she will visit it again on a regular basis. We therefore need to know your telephone number or email address to arrange a visit
  • if a pitch or mooring is normally used as someone's main home, it is exempt while it is not used. However, if your caravan or boat is used for leisure pursuits, business rates are payable on the pitch or mooring. The site owner will normally pay this
  • if a property is used as a show house business rates will be payable until it is used for housing
  • we will not accept a backdated claim that a property has been empty where Camden has not been given the opportunity to inspect the property
  • empty property strategy