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If a property has been empty for at least two years, find out how the premium charge is applied.
An additional amount of council tax (a premium) is charged when a property has been empty and substantially unfurnished for two years or more.
From 1 April 2021, the following premiums apply:
This means that if you own a property which has been empty and unfurnished for two years or more, you will be charged an extra 100% council tax on top of the full amount for the property (a 200% council tax charge).
If you own a property which has been empty and unfurnished for five years or more, you will be charged an extra 200% council tax on top of the full amount for the property (a 300% council tax charge).
As this premium applies to the property, a change of ownership or tenancy will not affect the premium. If when you bought or leased your property it had already been empty and unfurnished for two years or more, you will still have to pay the extra council tax charge. The additional charge can only be removed by bringing your property back into use.
If the premium affects you we will write to you and send you a new council tax bill.
There are two types of property that are not affected by the premium:
If your bill shows a long-term empty premium and you think that your property is in one of these categories please contact us straight away.