Council tax on an empty property
14-May-2008
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Council tax on an empty property

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I’ve just left my house in Bristol to live with my girlfriend in Scotland.  Knowing that the house will be empty I started phoning up all the utility companies etc. confirming that I will no longer live in the property and that it would be vacant until sold.

My next call was to Bristol City Council to let them know I was moving.  I jokingly expected them to thank me for tipping their bin men at Christmas and send me off with a Terry’s chocolates orange as well as a healthy council tax discount.

A furnished house, council tax discount

After all I would no longer be living in the house, city or county so how could I be using their services?  But I might have been dreaming there, because the conversation didn’t quite go as I had imagined.  I was asked if my home would be furnished whilst no one was living there, to which I replied ‘Yes, it would be’.

Knowing this question sounded fishy I asked whether or not this would affect the amount of council tax discount I would be entitled to.  "You would only be entitled to 10% sir, council rules" was the reply.  Initially I thought I heard her wrong.  But no, apparently being 380 miles away in a different country I will still be paying over £90 a month for the streetlights that I can't see and the ‘emptying’ of my rubbish bins.  Even worse, if I actually lived there I would be paying less, as I would have been entitled to the full 25% discount for single adult occupancy!

Okay, so plan B comes into action whereby it will be cheaper in the long run to just burn all my furniture.  That way I can then get the full discount for an unfurnished property.  Also, I wont have to pay a removals company to transport my furniture up to Scotland and I wont have to pay for it to be stored either!

Everybody wins, but what a strange world we live in.


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I paid council tax heavily for leaving good quality furniture behind in the beleif it might help a first time buyer.
*curly top  27-Dec-2007 20:41

 
My partner has a similar problem in Kirklees as she's trying to sell her house after moving in with me. They allowed 6 months at no tax but now they want FULL pay with no exceptions. She can't afford this so rang to try to get help but was flatly refused as they took Nikki's opinion below... Nice! We'll be sueing for harrasment...
*Jim  28-Nov-2007 14:43

 
Even if you are absen from your property there are still responsibilities to be dealt with. Who would come to put out a fire if your house caught light? Who would inform you if the place was broken into and had to be boarded up? These all cost money so why should the rest of the citizens who pay Council tax have to bear the burden of paying for something that affects someone else.
However having said that I don't agree with council tax. It is unfair and unjust. I am retired and my wife and I have generally fixed incomes and pay approx £1200 per year. The proerty next door whilst diffrent is about the same value and indeed in the same tax band has 2 working people residing with at least a £%%k incom 2.5 times ours.
*Bike rider  05-Jan-2007 17:12

 
It is always worthwhile checking out the situation as it varies from county to county. Having recently moved to the South Hams District Council area in Devon I was allowed up to six months of paying no council tax whatsoever on my property whilst it was empty of furniture. I was rather surprised at this generous concession but it was correct - I did however get someone around to inspect (at about month 5 I think) that there wasn't anyone living in the property.
*Temporally Loopy  29-Sep-2006 02:36

 
This has just happened to me as well - absolutely incredible! I pay council tax in London where I now live and the property has been empty (except for some lonely furniture!) for about three months. When I got the council tax bill I phoned up to tell them no-one was living there and therefore no-one was using council services and I assumed they would at least give me a pretty hefty discount - no, as you say, 10%!! That's outrageous!
*Laura  14-Jul-2006 13:20

 
Always tell them its empty, close the curtains etc. they say it will need to be inspected which you say is fine and ensure you are not there when they send the blose round....which they hardly ever do anyway. Zero council tax for 3 months...bosh
*Mike  22-May-2006 23:47

 
Yeah, I got caught in exactly the same way. My property was being sold and I'd moved out to live at my girlfriend's place. I just assumed that I'd receive a much higher discount for not actually living in the property / borough. Never in a million years would I have expected the discount to be LESS than a sole occupier!! Should have kept my mouth shut. Astonishing that the legislation was actually passed to allow the councils to do this. Scandalous!
*DGA  22-May-2006 13:41

 
Ummm nikki, council tax is payable for the use of public services, if you do not use those public services, as you live 600 miles away, and your house is on the market, then you shouldnt have to pay it. People are entitled to move to another area, and SHOULD pay council tax in their new home, but please tell me why they should pay council tax on an empty property when they ARENT using ANY services, you stupid cow. Stick to being a bad mother and the subject of ADHD, it seems its all you know about
*michael caine  17-Apr-2006 08:53

 
OH just pay up,if you can afford two houses, you can afford two taxes.
*Nikki  15-Apr-2006 05:41

 
There is a clause which states that if your house which is no longer your primary residence, has NOT enough furniture for it to be deemed 'liveable' then you will pay peanuts, myself and my partner have been through this, and ironically, we moved from Kent to Scotland. Bottom line is, dont take the first opinion, persistence pays off and ask to speak with the monkey not the organ grinder, as the organ grinder will not offer the partially furnished info.
*Michael caine  25-Mar-2006 19:35

 
I have a similar problem only with business rates I live in a pub which I was running up till christmas,I have now ceased trading and advised the local council that I'm leaving and that the pub has NOT been open since january and woe they told me I'm still responsible to pay business rates on a business that no longer exists and charging me £275 business rates p/m plus £90 council tax! and apparently they can/ until I move. so after many arguments and a liability order against me I got the local MP onto it and suddenly Ive got a 70% reduction and now only have to pay empty property allowence.which for the record is still business related and still stinks but its much better. it just makes me wonder whats is this country coming to
*WRX  23-Mar-2006 23:01


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