Council tax doubling for empty homes!

[worriedftb]

This is coming into effect from April 1st. This is amazing !

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/crack-down-on-long-term-empty-homes

Im not an expert either but I thought for anything over about 50k probate was required? Not sure, but in any case until the property passed into your name (if you didnt choose to sell it before the estate was settled) you personally wasnt responsible for the CTAX

I would have thought it more effective to sell it before the estate gets settled, then all the monies just go direct to the beneficiaries.

@soupfiend the house instantly passed into my name, there was no probate (got 200k for it when sold). Only thing i can think of is it was because owned as tenants in common with my step father. As soon as he died the solicitor changed name on title deeds with land registry to my sole name and I was liable for the council tax along with all the utilities. Was fun getting virgin to cancel as they insisted they could only speak with the account holder👻(sorry dark sense of humour😉) I then paid capital gains tax but that was after the property was sold. All done legally through solicitor and accountants🤷‍♀️

I've got an empty btl and I already pay double council tax on it. It's been empty for over a year. I'm not complaining about it. Since it was purchased at the end of 2022 DH was diagnosed with a brain tumour in March 2023 so my focus was on him and his big operation in October 2023 not sorting out an empty property. It needs extensive work and renovation including sitting room floor up and all floor joists replacing, then new floor boards and carpets. It needs a new bathroom and kitchen including additional electrical sockets, painting throughout, some new skirting boards and new carpets throughout. Then once it's up to scratch it will be let out. I wouldn't let it out without the work being done first. I don't mind paying the additional council tax until it's ready to rent out. The upstairs has now been painted all old carpets disposed of, old kitchen disposed of, and I have a plumber booked to install the new bathroom at the end of April. It will be completed and ready to rent out by the beginning of June. People usually have very good reasons why they have an empty property not let out.

I've had a second home in France for years. I don't rent it because you never know who you rent to. I just let family and friends borrow it when I am not using it. They clean up after themselves and might kindly pull up a few weeds for me from the garden. We've never had any security concerns.

Because when you ring to tell them you own the property you tell them. They send you a form to ask who will be living there and one of the questions is 'Is this property your main residence'? If the house is empty you state it is currently empty.

what equities?

definitely not the USA x

Most countries charge property tax. It's strange that this country chooses to charge what is effectively an occupation tax and charges renters as well. But its the one thing that is closest to a property tax other than stamp duty and majority of properties in the UK don't pay significant amounts of stamp duty anyway plus it's a one off even for those who do.

Personally I think it’s appalling I bought a small flat for my son who was having mental difficulties at the time. He moved out of the flat and I immediately put it up for sale. I am struggling to sell it and despite it being a tiny one room bed sit I am now having to pay over £300 per month council tax despite my best efforts to sell the property!!!!
with hindsight I’d have been much better to force the council to house him!!!
This isn’t punishing rich people with secon homes it’s also punishing people like myself who have worked and saved all my life and now nearing retirement am really struggling to pay this and desperately trying to sell the flat.
shame on the council and exorbitant rates!