Vacant dwellings
The English Housing Survey states: 'The assessment of whether or not a dwelling is vacant is made at the time of the interviewer’s visit. Clarification of vacancy is sought from neighbours. Both properties in between lets and those that are vacant for a longer period are classified as vacant on the English Housing Survey. Surveyors are required to gain access to vacant dwellings and undertake full inspections.'
The Council Taxbase gives the following definitions:
- All vacants (all tenures): All empty homes. Up until April 2013 dwellings undergoing major structural repairs for up to 12 months and those vacant for less than 6 months were eligible for a council tax exemption (Class A and C respectively). In April 2013 these exemptions were replaced with a new flexible discount which applied to all empty properties. Local authorities are now entitled to apply any level of discount from 0% to 100% to all empty properties. Where local authorities award zero discounts for empty properties there is less incentive for owners to report their property as empty. This could have led to some under reporting of some empty properties.
- All long-term vacants (all tenures): From 2004 to 2012, long-term empty homes are those dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for over 6 months. Up until April 2013 local authorities could use their discretion to award these dwellings a discount of between 0% and 50%. Since April 2013 local authorities can now set that level of discount anywhere between 0% and 100% and can also charge a premium of up to 50% on those properties which have been empty for more than 2 years.
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