Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director (BA).

The Executive Committee received the report which sought to increase the current 100% Council Tax Long-Term Empty Premium, on properties which had been empty for two or more years. The premium increase would help encourage owners of empty homes to bring their properties back into use and support the Council’s commitment to reducing the number of empty homes in the city.

Particular reference was made to there being 78 empty homes in Exeter, despite the hard work made by officers to fill them. There were too many people who were homeless, on waiting lists or had no access to appropriate housing in Exeter, and the report recommendations were an incentive to bring the properties back into use.

Members were assured that the premium would be applied, provided that the properties were not up for rent or for sale. Officers would also take home owner’s circumstances into consideration for each case.

The Leader of the Council noted that the empty homes premium was a good step forward to bring homes back into use to support the 1.6 million people who were on the social housing waiting lists.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the increase in the Council Tax Long-Term Empty Premium from:-

·         100% to 200% from 1 April 2020 for properties empty for 5 years or more; and

·         200% to 300% from 1 April 2021 for properties empty for 10 years or more.