Public asked for views on changes to 100% premium for long-term empty properties

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter

A council says a “greater incentive” is needed to bring long-term empty homes back into use, after finding the current 100 per cent council tax premium has not prompted some owners to act.

Anglesey County Council is now seeking residents’ views for a potential overhaul of the tax, which aims to bring long-term empty homes on the island back into use and to increase the supply of affordable homes.

Various options for the tax are being mooted in an online survey, including a first option to maintain the premium at its current level of 100% and a second option to increase it to 150%

Options

A third suggests a stepped increase depending on how long the property has been empty, by calculating the length of time the property has been empty, from April 1, 2026 – that is, all properties currently paying the premium would have a premium of 0% in the year 2026 to 2027.

A fourth option would see a calculation of the length of time the property has been empty, from the actual date it was last lived in. For example, a property that has been empty for between five and six years would be charged a premium of 125% in the year 2026 to 2027.

A fifth, would maintain the minimum premium at 100% – but increase in steps to 300% the maximum that can legally be charged – based on the length of time the property has been empty.

The sixth option suggests reducing the premium to below 100%.

The council currently charges 100% on all empty properties, where the property has been empty for a period of 12 months, although some properties are exempt.

This includes those for sale or for let (exemption 12 months), annexes forming part of, or being treated as part of, a main property, properties that would be someone’s sole or main residence if they were not residing in armed forces accommodation, properties subject to major repair work/structural work, providing it is on-going and progressing – (exempt 12 months, and may be extended by a further 12 months if the taxpayer is a first-time buyer with a local connection).

Properties

As of May 2025, the council says there were 805 properties on the council tax system, designated as long-term empty properties.

The properties are spread across the island but a quarter (25%) are in Holyhead. Between 5% and 10% are in Amlwch, Beaumaris, Llanfairpwll, Llangefni and Menai Bridge and the remainder in villages across the island.

The highest number of empty homes are for houses in Council Tax Band D, with 171; 17.3%, Band B; with 152; 18.9%,d Band C, with 145; 18%, Band E; 109; 13.6%, Band F; 59, 7.3%, Band G; 22, 2.7%.

The lowest numbers are in Band H with five properties, 0.6% and Band I, with only three properties at 0.4%.

The figures can change during the year as taxpayers sell or let properties and new properties become empty.

Of the 805 properties, as of May 2025, 589 properties were paying the premium, 170 had been empty for less than a year, so not required to pay the premium until the first anniversary of the property becoming empty, 44 properties had one-year exemptions (structural works, property sale or for let) and two were permanently exempted (annexes).

Action

The Council states that although around 75% of the current empty properties have been empty for three years or less, 25% have been empty for longer than three years, with seven percent empty for longer than 10 years.

“This suggests that, in a number of cases, the level of the current premium is not encouraging the taxpayer to take any action to bring the property back into use, which is contrary to one of the primary objectives of the empty property premium,” it says.

“The Isle of Anglesey County Council’s Executive Committee is considering a number of options for the empty property premium.

“The council wants a greater incentive for taxpayers to bring properties back into use.

“This can be achieved by increasing the financial penalty of keeping a property empty and unoccupied for a long period of time”

If any increase is agreed, it would begin on April 1, 2026, but the council wants to hear local opinions before making any final decision.

See the council’s on-line questionnaire and justification statement on its website. The closing day to respond is November 7, 2025.