What the Council Tax charges on empty properties are, and when you don't need to pay.
If your property is empty and unfurnished, for example between tenancies, you will have to pay the full amount of Council Tax
We charge:
These are called long-term empty property premiums and are set up to help maximise the number of homes available in Brighton & Hove.
From 1 April 2025, if your property is empty and furnished, a second home, or a furnished let, an extra Council Tax charge of 100% payable from the day on which it becomes empty.
Approval was received by full council on 1 February 2024, a year in advance of the premium coming in to effect, as per legislation in the Levelling up & Regeneration Act 2023.
There are some exceptions to having the premium applied which can be viewed on the government's website.
If you believe you should not have to pay a premium based on one of the exceptions, please send evidence of that to the council tax team.
You may be able to apply for your property to be removed from from the Council Tax list if it has become derelict or needs major or substantial work to make it habitable again.
You don't have to pay Council Tax on an empty property if:
Some homes do not get charged Council Tax for as long as they stay empty. They include homes:
If you meet any of the above criteria, you can submit Council Tax information online to see how much Council Tax you need to pay on your empty property.