The Public Bill Committee is inviting those with relevant interest or experience to share their views on a Bill which will increase the maximum level of council tax premium for empty homes.
Currently passing through Parliament, the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill implements two policy commitments made in the November 2017 Budget.
One of these is to raise the empty homes premium that can be applied to properties that have been empty and substantially unfurnished for a minimum of two years; from 50% up to 100%.
The Bill also sets out to reverse the effects of the so-called ‘staircase tax’, which means that units of properties in the same building are now, for business rate purposes, treated as separate properties. Where this particular policy is concerned, both a consultation and a draft Bill were issued by the Government last year.
The Bill has now been committed to a Public Bill Committee, with the first meeting scheduled to take place on 1 May 2018.
Written evidence will stop being received on 3 May 2018 – any submissions should be emailed to scrutiny@parliament.uk.
Further information can be accessed here.
