Council confirms 100% premium on empty properties

Anthony Lewis, Local democracy reporter

A south Wales council has confirmed the amount of of extra council tax which will be charged on long term empty homes and second homes for next year.

At a meeting of full council on Monday, January 12, Vale of Glamorgan councillors voted to continue with a long-term empty property premium of 100% for those that remain empty for up to, but not including, 24 months.

They also agreed to continue with a long-term empty property premium of 150% for those that remain empty for a continuous period of 24 months up to, but not including, 36 months.

And they voted for a long-term empty property premium of 200% for those that remain empty for a continuous period of 36 months or more.

They also agreed that the premium of 100% for periodically occupied properties (second homes) continue in 2026/2027.

Councillors also voted to continue the policy to not grant any level of discount for unoccupied dwellings that have remained empty for six months.

But two amendments were added to address unintended consequences that had been noticed over the previous year relating to discretionary exemptions.

Both amendments aim to remove any disincentives for potential purchasers to take on an empty property and bring it back into habitable use.

The first is a discretionary exception from the long term empty property premium for a period of up to three months (or the date that property becomes occupied depending on which is earlier) where a long term empty property had been purchased and the new owner was either not related to the vendor or they could provide evidence that the sale had been completed for a genuine market value.

The second is a discretionary exception from the long-term empty property premium for a period of up to 12 months (or the date that property becomes occupied depending on which was earlier) where the vendor of the long-term
empty property had already received a Class A exemption and the property still required major structural repairs.

To qualify for the exception the property must have been purchased and the new owner must either not be related to the vendor or they must provide evidence that the sale had been completed for a genuine market value.

The new owner must also provide evidence of the work required or the work must be proven by inspection.

These exceptions would take effect for purchases that are completed after April 1, 2026 and would be relevant to the 2026/27 financial year.