Council tax discounts and exemptions

We do not offer a discount to a property which is unfurnished and unoccupied unless it falls into one of the categories below.

Please be aware from 1 April 2019, any property that has continuously been unoccupied and unfurnished:

• for over two years and up to five years will pay an additional council premium of 100%, therefore paying 200% charge.
• for five years and up to 10 years there will be an additional premium of 200%, therefore paying a 300% charge. 
• for ten years or more there will be a premium of 300%, therefore paying a charge of 400%.

This is designed to encourage owners of empty properties to bring them back into use. We have written to any property owners this may affect.

An empty property may be exempt from council tax if:

• the occupier is now a resident in a hospital or nursing home. Fill in and submit an application for discount disregard (homes and hospital)
• the occupier has gone to prison or it is being held for a minister of religion as a residence from which to perform his/her duties. Fill in and submit an application for discount disregard (person in detention)

Send your completed form to:

If you have any questions, please contact our customer services team on 01543 308900, Monday - Friday, 9am - 5.15pm.

It may also be exempt if:

• the occupier has moved to receive personal care.
• occupation is prohibited by law.
• the occupier has died and the property forms part of the estate of the deceased person and the personal representative is waiting for grant of probate or letters of administration, or less than six months have elapsed since such a grant was made.
• the occupier has moved to provide personal care to another person.
• the property has been repossessed by a mortgagee.
• the property has been left unoccupied by students.
• the property is the responsibility of a bankrupt's trustee.

An empty property may also be exempt if: 

• it is unoccupied for up to six months and is owned by a charity.
• it is an unoccupied and forms part of, or is situated within the curtilage of another home and is difficult to let separately without a breach of planning control, within the meaning of the Town and County Planning Act 1990(d).

To apply for a council tax exemption, please fill in and submit a property exemption form. Send your completed form to:

Please be aware we may visit your property as part of the application process to check it is empty.

If you have any questions, please contact our customer services team on 01543 308900, Monday - Friday, 9am - 5.15pm.

Read our privacy notice.