According to the local authorities, an empty or unoccupied is the substantially unfurnished one and has no resident for at least twenty-two years. If your property has furnishing, or people living in it for six weeks or less during the last two years, it still comes in the category of an empty property.
According to the two-year-empty rule, owners of empty or inhabited properties have to pay council tax on a specific date every month. The local council uses this amount to fund various systems in the country, such as the education system. However, every rule comes with some exemptions, and so the two-year-empty-rule does. It means you will have to pay no council tax if your empty or unoccupied property is:
- An inhabited annexe or a derelict house.
- Repossessed dwelling or purchased to be demolished.
Likewise, there are no council taxes on your empty property if:
- You are in prison unless your jail sentence is not for non-payment of the council tax.
- You are in the hospital or home care for medical treatment.
Many people own a second home in the countryside or by the coast to use it for holidays or periodically. The double council tax premium can hit these landlords, forcing them to sell a property they do not want to and pay capital gain tax on the profits.
However, it is not uncommon for an empty property to become a blot on the landscape. It is more likely to encourage crimes or anti-social activities, such as graffiti. Your property can lose its value if anything like the above happens. You might also need to pay maintenance and repair costs in case of anti-social behavior towards your inhabited property. It is something you would like to get rid of than thinking over how to avoid paying council tax on an empty property.
It means holding an inhabited property is now a wasted resource that is becoming more expensive to have as your asset. Accordingly, experts suggest selling it whether you are a resident or a foreign investor with an inhabited home. If you do not want to sell it because of its increasing value and can afford to pay the expensive council tax, let it out.
