Uninhabitable properties
Guidance for owners of properties they consider uninhabitable
Some unoccupied and unfurnished (vacant) properties need structural alteration or major repair work to be done before they can be occupied. These properties may be entitled to exemption from Council Tax for a maximum of 12 months after which the full charge becomes payable by the owner even if the work is not finished.
Before this exemption is awarded we will need information from you about the work that is needed. You will need to provide a copy of any surveyor’s report or schedule of works. This helps us see the nature and extent of the work required.
Once we have seen this information we will need to inspect the property to see its condition and any progress on the works. We will then write to you to confirm if the exemption applies, and if so, from what date. This date will be when the exemption will start from for a maximum 12 months.
If you only contact us after the work is finished we will not grant an exemption unless you can provide sufficient evidence of the nature and extent of the works that occurred.
If you have bought a property as an investment that is already in a poor state of repair and we have previously given the maximum 12 months exemption, you will not be given a further exemption. This is because the exemption is based on the property’s circumstances, and not the change in ownership.
If the property is being modernised and redecorated it is unlikely an exemption will be awarded, because these are improvements instead of major repairs or structural alteration.
For an application form to claim uninhabitable status, please click here
Some unoccupied and unfurnished (vacant) properties need structural alteration or major repair work to be done before they can be occupied. These properties may be entitled to exemption from Council Tax for a maximum of 12 months after which the full charge becomes payable by the owner even if the work is not finished.
Before this exemption is awarded we will need information from you about the work that is needed. You will need to provide a copy of any surveyor’s report or schedule of works. This helps us see the nature and extent of the work required.
Once we have seen this information we will need to inspect the property to see its condition and any progress on the works. We will then write to you to confirm if the exemption applies, and if so, from what date. This date will be when the exemption will start from for a maximum 12 months.
If you only contact us after the work is finished we will not grant an exemption unless you can provide sufficient evidence of the nature and extent of the works that occurred.
If you have bought a property as an investment that is already in a poor state of repair and we have previously given the maximum 12 months exemption, you will not be given a further exemption. This is because the exemption is based on the property’s circumstances, and not the change in ownership.
If the property is being modernised and redecorated it is unlikely an exemption will be awarded, because these are improvements instead of major repairs or structural alteration.
For an application form to claim uninhabitable status, please click here