Properties undergoing or requiring major repairs
As of 1 April 2023, properties may be entitled to a 25% discount for up to twelve months, providing that the empty property is either:
- undergoing major repair work or structural alteration
- requiring major repair work or structural alteration
Prior to 1 April 2023, this was a 50% discount for up to twelve months.
If you think that your property may qualify for a discount on this basis, complete the empty property discount request.
Request an empty property discount
We can consider:
- the cost and the amount of work required to make the property habitable
- the time the work would take
- any other obvious features of the work
Once you have completed the form, you will need to provide evidence of works required or carried out, such as:
- photographs of the property
- invoices for work carried out
- quotes for work required
- receipts for materials
- survey reports
After the maximum 12 months discount has expired, you have to pay the full Council Tax charge (or empty property premium charge, dependent upon how long the property has been vacant) even if the property is still uninhabitable.
Major repair work
Some examples of major repair work are:
- major underpinning
- total replacement of floors, including new joists and timbers
- total replacement of ceilings or roof including new joists and timbers
- damp proof membrane
- total re-plastering (back to brickwork) of the entire walls of the majority of the property
What is not major repair work?
Examples of things which are not classed as major repairs are:
- outdated features, fittings and fixtures
- replacement, refurbishment or modernisation of, for example, kitchen, bathrooms, toilets
- installation of replacement windows, central heating
- rewiring
- re-plastering
These types of minor repairs will not qualify for a discount. Quite often refurbishment works are carried out whilst a property is still lived in or prior to the occupier moving in. This is desirable or cosmetic work rather than essential major repair work.
If you are a landlord, or someone who is intending to let property, you must remember that even though you might think uninhabitable means it is not fit to let, the condition of the property might be acceptable to an owner occupier.
If you have bought or sold a property that is now empty, you can report this online.