Second homes and the Council Tax
If you have two homes, or two properties, you may have to pay Council Tax for both of them, unless an exemption applies, or somebody else has their sole or main residence in your other property . You will have to pay the usual Council Tax for the property which is your main home – this will normally be either 100% or 75%, depending on how many people live there. But you may also have to pay the full amount of Council Tax for the second home or property.
Empty second homes
Until 01.04.13, an exemption applied for unoccupied and unfurnished homes (exemption class C). However, Council Tax law has changed and from 01.04.13, that exemption no longer exists. Instead, councils can decide how much discount to grant for empty properties in these circumstances. Leeds City Council has decided to allow no discount at all.
If you own an unoccupied and unfurnished property, you will therefore be liable for the full Council Tax for up to two years, then if it remains empty for more than 2 years, the level of charge will increase – see the next paragraph.
Property empty for over 2 years
Once a property has been empty for over 2 years, a ‘long-term empty premium’ can be applied, if councils wish to apply it. Leeds City Council has decided to set a premium of 50%, so the rate of Council Tax payable is 150% for properties empty for over 2 years.
This decision is in line with the Council's policy on long-term empty properties. The strategy is designed to return to use property which has been empty for long periods and which can contribute to the decline of areas of the city.
It may be that you are trying to either sell the property or find new occupiers. However, now that the decision has been made to grant no discount, this will apply to all empty domestic properties in Leeds which would previously have qualified for exemption class C .
Furnished second homes
Until 01.04.13, councils had to apply a minimum of 10% discount for a furnished property which was nobody’s main home. However, Council Tax law changed so that councils are no longer obliged to grant any discount at all. From 01.04.13, Leeds will award no discount for an unoccupied but furnished property, so if you own a furnished second home that is nobody’s main residence, you will be liable for the full Council Tax, unless one of your homes is ‘job-related’ – see below.
‘Job-related’ second homes
If you live in a particular property because of your job, different rules may apply. If your main residence is somewhere else, the 'job-related dwelling' may qualify for a 50% discount. Or, if the ‘job-related dwelling’ is your main residence, your other home may qualify for the 50% discount. See the downloadable sheet 'Job-related second homes' below.
This information is for guidance only and covers straightforward situations. Please contact us for more information before you make any decision based on the information we have given here.
There is no right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal about the council’s decision not to allow a discount for empty properties or furnished second homes in Leeds, or to charge a premium for properties empty for over two years. However, you can still appeal if:
• you believe the period you are being charged for is wrong, or
• you think are not the liable person, or
• you have applied for one of the exemptions below and been turned down.
See the downloadable pdf ‘Appeals against liability’ below for more information.
