Bradford Council says tax premiums can help bring long-empty homes back into use – but councillors have been told it can often be difficult collecting these charges.
Bradford Council is one of several councils to charge homeowners extra Council tax for homes that are long term empty.
The policy aims to discourage people from “sitting on” homes without any intention of bringing them back into use. The thinking is the extra Council Tax will encourage owners to sell the homes, bringing them back onto the market.
From April last year, the Council Tax premium on empty homes is 100 per cent for homes empty at least a year but less than five years, 200 per cent for homes empty for at least five years, but less than 10 years, and 300 per cent for homes empty at least 10 years.
A report that went to Bradford Council’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee this month said collection rates for properties charged an empty homes premium stood at just 69 per cent.
This is compared to the 94 per cent in-year (collected the same year as it is due) Council Tax collection rate for regular homes.
A report to members said:
“Collection from owners of empty properties and collection in respect of periods when properties were empty can be more difficult and prone to more enquiries and disputes about the charge.
“Legal processes to recover charges from empty properties are often lengthier as the owner may be more difficult to trace and consequently in-year collection rates are lower.
“At the end of March, the in-year collection rate for all premium charges was 69.28 per cent in comparison to the overall collection rate of 94.04 per cent.
“Premium charges were not introduced to raise more Council Tax, but as an opportunity to dis-incentivise owners from leaving properties vacant and support efforts to reduce the number of empty properties across the district.”
Caroline Lee, assistant director revenue, benefits & customer services told members there were exemptions to empty homes, such as if they were being actively marketed.
Councillor Alun Griffiths (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) asked at what point the Council stops chasing Council Tax relating to empty properties.
He said:
“If a home has been empty for 10 years, I imagine the chance of finding someone who has to pay the Council Tax for it is low.
“Do we ever say ‘that property is empty, we’ll have it?’”
Mrs Lee said:
“We can force the sale of (long term empty) properties to help collect that debt, and to give that property a better chance of coming back into use.”
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