Long term empty homes
This means that if you own a property which has been empty and unfurnished for one year or more, you will be charged extra council tax on top of the full council tax for the property.
A premium is an additional charge that is made to council tax liability.
The changes to this charge are listed in the table below:
Premiums that will be applied |
---|
100% premium for properties empty 1 - 5 years |
200% premium for properties empty 5 - 10 years |
300% premium for properties empty 10 years + |
Check our current council tax charges
As this premium applies to the property, a change of ownership or tenancy will not affect the premium. If when you purchased or leased your property it had already been empty and unfurnished for one year or more, you will have to pay the premium charge. The additional charge can only be removed by bringing your property back into use.
There are two exemptions where this premium cannot be applied. They are:
- An 'occupier' is in the armed force,
- An annexe is occupied as part of the main dwelling
If the premium affects you we will write to you and send you a new council tax bill.
The premium will affect you if you are liable for a property currently listed as empty which has been empty for one year or more.
If your bill shows a long-term empty premium and you think that your property is in one of these categories please contact us straight away.
View the Council Tax empty homes and second homes premium policy 2024 (PDF, 357KB)
How do I end the premium charge?
To end the premium charge, you must bring the property back into use.
If you bring your property back into use, please contact us so we can arrange an appointment to visit your property.
If the property has been occupied for a short period of time, we will treat it as not having been occupied for the purposes of calculating the one-year period.
There may be exemptions where this premium cannot be applied.
These are listed in the table below from 1 April 2025. If you think you meet the criteria for an exception, please contact the Council: revenues.benefits@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk . We will need evidence to support applications, details of this can be found in the policy.
The table below shows an overview of the premium exceptions:
Classes of Dwellings | Application | Definition |
---|---|---|
Class E | Long-term empty homes and second homes | Dwelling which is or would be someone’s sole or main residence if they were not residing in job-related armed forces accommodation |
Class F | Long-term empty homes and second homes | Annexes forming part of, or being treated as part of, the main dwelling |
Class G | Long-term empty homes and second homes | Dwellings being actively marketed for sale (12 months limit) |
Class H | Long-term empty homes and second homes | Dwellings being actively marketed for let (12 months limit) |
Class I | Long-term empty homes and second homes | Unoccupied dwellings which fell within exempt Class F and where probate has recently been granted (12 months from grant of probate/letters of administration) |
Class M | Long-term empty home only | Empty dwellings requiring or undergoing major repairs or structural alterations (12 months limit) |
If the premium affects you, we will write to you and send you a new council tax bill when the premium takes effect.
If your bill shows a second home premium and you think that your property should not be classed as a second home, please contact us straight away.
View the Council Tax empty homes and second homes premium policy 2024 (PDF, 375KB)
How do I end the premium charge?
To end the premium charge, you may meet any of the exemptions.
You could also bring your property back into use as a main home, please contact us so we can arrange an appointment to visit your property.