Tax Discounts for Long Term Empty Properties
Shropshire Council has agreed to review council tax discounts for long-term empty properties in a bid to encourage owners to get the properties back into the housing market.
The changes, approved by councillors at a meeting of the full council yesterday (Thursday 21 January), are aimed at increasing the range of affordable housing available in Shropshire by encouraging owners to sell or rent empty properties.
Under Government legislation, owners of empty properties don’t have to pay any council tax for the first six months it is empty. But Shropshire Councillors have agreed that owners should pay 50 per cent council tax for the six months following that, and then pay the full amount once the property has been empty for a year. However, there are exemptions available depending on people’s circumstances and ability to pay.
In the 2008/9 financial year, before the creation of the Shropshire Council unitary authority, the rules were different in different parts of the county. Bridgnorth District Council, Oswestry Borough Council and Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council had removed all discounts, while North Shropshire District Council and South Shropshire District Council offered a 50 per cent discount.
Shropshire Council had initially kept the 50 per cent discount across the whole county, until the decision taken by councillors yesterday.
Councillor Keith Barrow, leader of Shropshire Council, said: “We want to get these properties back on the market, but we don’t want to penalise anyone who has a genuine reason why they can’t pay council tax on an empty house. There are lots of exemptions to these rules to make sure people aren’t penalised, and there are also grants available to help people pay.”
Councillor Mal Price, Cabinet member for housing, added: “Creating more homes that people can afford is a big priority for the council. We hope these new regulations will encourage people to make the best use of empty properties and give a boost to the housing market.”
