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Landlords warned of high cost of keeping properties empty

Landlords in one part of England are being urged to get their properties back on the market or face inevitable council tax rises.

Of the 1,808 properties in North Lincolnshire listed as empty, 149 are currently charged a 100 per cent council tax premium for being empty for more than two years. 

Additionally, 64 of the 149 properties have been empty for more than five years and 20 have sat empty for more than a decade.

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The council already works with landlords to support them to get empty properties back into use but is now considering the option of increasing council tax premiums.

Councillor Rob Waltham - the leader of North Lincolnshire council - says: “The impact on communities of empty properties it significant, it is one of the things which we receive the most complaints about.

“Not only that there are many people who would benefit from these homes being brought back into use, not least their owners.

“People seeking rental properties or people looking to take their first step onto the property ladder would certainly benefit – a house stood empty is no use to anyone, it could become a home.

“There’s lots of help and support available, we can work with landlords to bring the properties back into use or dispose of them and we would welcome any conversation with people to see where we can assist.

“However, if people choose to keep these properties empty for significant periods of time then the only option we have available is to increase the amount of council tax that must be paid – it is not a decision we take lightly but where we need to intervene to help our communities flourish we will.”

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  • George Dawes

    Sometimes keeping it empty is unavoidable if you're renovating and you run out of money

    These councils have no concept of the real world

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    The real culprits are the council themselves with her own social housing being empty for long periods of time and refusing planning permission to turn buildings into productive use

    Theodor Cable

    Do they pay council tax when their houses are empty?

     
  • George Dawes

    Yes , the planning departments in councils need a radical overhaul

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    Its a concerted effort to drive out small private LL’s. The Council is the tool used for this with Regulations, fines , penalties, claw back, Licensing Schemes, confiscation Orders etc, they know It not viable for small LL to survive with this weight to deliberately crush him, to make way for the big boys. So enter John Lewis, Lloyds Bank and General Accident build to Rent already operating with thousands of units let, thousands more coming in 11 Cities. Cripple us to subsidise and clear the way for them.

  • George Dawes

    Definitely, it’s all part of the grand plan . Look at Germany, renting is the norm there and very few people own property …

    Theodor Cable

    And in Germany, (and Australia) missing a rental payment means that within 24 hours the police will automatically attend the building and do the eviction. All for no charge.

    Interesting that in both countries, rental default is hardly heard about and if it does happen, social stigma is a hard price to pay.

    We need that here in UK....and fast

     
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    What a Complete and utter lie theo

     
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    John, I believe Theo is correct on that one

     
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    LOOOOL... you lot havent ever left the uk

     
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    Oh I've been to Germany John, my Sister in law and her husband used to live there

     
    Theodor Cable

    John Smith - Wrong....

    I have travelled 6 continents and have lived abroad for over 25 years and have watched the UK madness very closely with regard to UK housing and it its apalling state for price, quality, availability, restrictions and rules and paperwork.

    It cannot continue.

     
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    Council Tax is supposed to be used to provide services not as a punishment! Most LLs don't want their property empty but if they do why should they be penalised? You don't get punished for taking your car off the road and not driving it do you?

    I have an empty property - I desperately want to sell it and I have a developer who wants to buy it, but the legal wrangling & planning permission is so slow it has sat empty for 3 years. The Council Tax is an unwanted burden and their planning department the main cause!

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    It's nothing unusual for a Norwich City owned house to sit empty for 3 yrs while they consider what to do with it.

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    C/tax is for Service, in the case of empty property its a penalty for nothing. I have one of those vacant because of new rules that weren’t there before. Such an unfair tax 2 people in the property like my wife & me full c/tax £2500 another local house 8 people same c/tax so 6 persons pay no c/tax, how many millions pay nothing & have their rubbish taken away. This is a kin to TV license which is very reasonable if granny lives there it exempts the rest, so they pay nothing and go marching to prevent being charged but no qualms about paying £60 / £80 for Sky.

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    Council tax on empty property for nothing the reason don’t seem to count. It’s getting very popular to charge for nothing even British Gas will take £100pa off your gas top up card whether you use it or not, of course you pay for what you use as well.

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    I have been across the Irish, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, I was up on the twin Towers but luckily not the day they came down, my Grand Mother was from Massachusetts.

  • Mandy Paterson

    Better an empty house than a bad tenant!

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    Rob, of North Lincolnshire Council should look closer to home, 1800 properties empty maybe Scunthorpe area a very high number. I don’t believe anyone wants a property empty but constant interference in Private Sector Housing is the main cause of this. People are at a loss what to do with so many new rules, other too scared to let any into their property. Rob needs to ask some in house questions why is it he didn’t have all those empty before the interference began.

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