NEW measures are set to be introduced which will aim to reduce the number of empty houses in the city and free up space for families looking to get onto the property ladder.
Coventry City Councillors will discuss adopting a new policy which will see them able to charge a 100 per cent premium on Council Tax for homeowners who have properties that have been empty and unfurnished for 12 months.
Current policies see houses empty for at least two years charged this premium.
The empty homes charge currently brings in £500,000 a year in Council Tax revenue in Coventry, but reducing the empty period to one year would bring around 577 more properties into the scheme, generating roughly another £900,000.
Councillors are considering introducing this change in April 2024, giving owners a year’s notice.
And owners of second homes could also face a 100 per cent Council Tax premium for furnished empty properties, including rental properties, which would see an added £3.6million in the public purse.
However, this step would likely be delayed until further reviews can be carried out to see its potential impact on the housing market, meaning it could be introduced in 2025.
The council’s cabinet member for finance, Coun Richard Brown, said: “There is a shortage of available housing in the city, and this new charging rate would be a big incentive for owners to bring empty properties back onto the market at a much faster rate.
“These properties are across the city and of varying sizes, and would be a great help to a wide number of people, from those starting out on the property ladder to families looking to move, and that would help regenerate communities and streets that can be blighted by long-term empty buildings and the problems they can bring.
“This is not about generating extra Council Tax, it is a measure aimed purely at freeing up more properties and helping people in the city get the houses they need in their local communities.”
There are currently 307 homes that have been empty for at least two years, including 67 that have been empty for over five years and therefore have a 200 per cent premium charge.
A further 41 homes have spent over a decade unoccupied and would be subject to a 300 per cent premium charge.
The new plans will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting on December 13 and will go before the Full Council in January.
