James Brokenshire, secretary of state for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), recently announced that following amendments by the Lords to the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill 2017-19, the government intends to provide significantly stronger powers for councils to tackle empty homes.
According to government statistical information, the number of empty homes across the United Kingdom has risen for the first time in a decade to 205,293. More than 11,000 have been empty for ten years or more. The new bill will allow councils across England to charge even greater council tax premiums on homes left empty for many years. It is anticipated that councils will be able to charge 100% premiums from April 2019, 200% premiums from April 2020 and 300% premiums from 2021.
The press release is available here.